A Difficult Decision
by Jude Rigby
Summary: Sequel to 'Blood is Thicker than Water' and takes place 6 months after it. Jack realizes he has feelings for Karen, but what he will do about them is the most difficult decision he will face. JackKaren ff. Complete!
1. Chapter One: November Morning

A/N: This is the sequel to 'Blood is Thicker than Water' and as a warning, Jack and Karen will get together romanticly in this ff.  
  
A/N #2: This takes place six months after 'BiTtW' and there are a few things that I have happen in between the two stories. 1.Leo and Grace have divorced 3 months before the start of this ff, and she has moved into Will's apartment 2.Katherine and Amber have moved into Jack's apartment  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter One November Morning  
  
"So are we going to go see a movie tonight Will?" Grace Adler asked her  
  
best friend and roommate as they ate breakfast.  
  
"Sure," Will Truman answered, reading the front page of the New York Times. "What do you want to see?"  
  
"I was thinking maybe 'Master and Commander?'" Grace said tentatively.  
  
"That the one with Russell Crowe?" Will asked. When Grace nodded, he then said, "Okay, let's go to the eight o'clock show."  
  
Grace smiled and then went back to eating her bowl of cereal.  
  
"Good morning everyone on such a beautiful day!" Jack McFarland said, coming through the front door of the apartment.  
  
"Let me guess," Will said, not looking up from his paper. "Kat didn't get a chance to buy some food?"  
  
"Not yet, but I got some coffee for all of us," Katherine Riley, Karen Walker's sister, said, coming into the apartment with a tray of Starbucks coffees.  
  
"Now it's a good day," Grace said, getting up from her chair and taking  
  
some of the cups from the tray. "Did you guys get over to Amber's school alright?"  
  
"Yeah, even though Jackie-boy here kept stopping to make snowballs," Katherine said, sitting down at the table.  
  
"What can I say," Jack said, grinning. "Snow is fun."  
  
The other three laughed at that and then they all ate breakfast together.  
  
An hour later, Will got up from the table and put on his jacket and coat. "I'll meet you at seven thirty at the theater okay Gracie?" he said, as he  
  
grabbed his briefcase.  
  
"See you there Will," Grace answered.  
  
"Bye," Katherine called as he went out the door.  
  
Jack, who was busy drinking the last of his coffee, waved briefly at Will.  
  
"So what are you guys going to see?" Katherine asked.  
  
"'Master and Commander,'" Grace answered smiling.  
  
"Sounds good," Katherine said. "I need to take Amber to the movies, she's been bugging me to take her to see 'Cat in the Hat.'"  
  
The door to the apartment suddenly burst open and Will ran inside.  
  
"Will?" Grace asked, getting up from the table.  
  
"What's wrong?" Katherine then asked, looking concerned.  
  
"9C," Will said as soon as he caught his breath. "The people are moving out and it's for sale."  
  
Katherine and Grace looked at each other.  
  
"You go Kat," Grace said. "You've got Amber to think about and there's  
  
just me."  
  
"Are you sure?" Katherine asked as she got up from the table.  
  
"Yeah, go on and take a look," Grace said.  
  
"Thanks Gracie," Katherine said, smiling. "I'm going to be late though. Tell Karen that I'll meet her for lunch whenever I've finished."  
  
"Wait, are you going to buy it today?" Jack asked.  
  
"Well, I have been saving up for this for a while," Katherine answered.  
  
"And besides, I can't live off of you forever Jack... wait a moment, let me  
  
rephrase that. What I mean is we can't live with you forever Jack."  
  
"If that's how you're going to thank me for taking you and Amb in, then  
  
fine, move out!" Jack said sarcastically. He got up from the table and left the apartment and walked to his own.  
  
"See you at lunch then?" Katherine asked as he was about to close the door.  
  
"Yep," Jack said, and then he closed his door.  
  
"Do you want me to go with you Kat?" Will asked.  
  
"Of course," Katherine answered. "You are my lawyer after all."  
  
"See you later Grace," Will said.  
  
"I'll try and get to the office before I go meet Karen," Katherine said  
  
as she and Will walked out of the apartment.  
  
"Good luck Kat," Grace said.  
  
~~~  
  
At twelve o'clock, Katherine walked into the office of Grace Adler Designs.  
  
"Uh-oh," Grace said when she saw the woman. "How did it go?"  
  
"Oh, it went great," Katherine said. "I've got the apartment and Amber  
  
and I can move in this weekend."  
  
"Then what's wrong," Grace asked.  
  
"It's coming up the stairs right now," Katherine said as voice were heard outside the office.  
  
"Hi Grace," Karen said, going over to her desk and putting down her purse.  
  
"What does she want now?" Grace asked Katherine.  
  
"She wants her to move into the penthouse," Jack said, coming into the office.  
  
"You do?" Grace asked, surprised.  
  
"Well I've got all that space... okay okay! I'm jealous of you guys being so close together and all in that building," Karen said. The other three looked at her in disbelief and then she began to laugh. "I was just joking," she said.  
  
"So you don't care I've got my own apartment then?" Katherine asked.  
  
"No honey, you go and live your own life," Karen responded, filing her nails.  
  
"Thank you so much dear sister," Katherine said, taking off her coat and hanging it. "So we're working on the Dolmen apartment?"  
  
"Yes," Grace said, taking out a piece of paper and handing it to her.  
  
"Ew, work. I'm out of here," Jack said. "See you ladies later."  
  
"Bye Jack," Grace said.  
  
"I'll be cooking dinner tonight Jackie," Katherine said.  
  
"Oh good!" Jack said, clapping his hands. "Talk to you later Kare." He went over to her and kissed her cheek before leaving the office.  
  
"Bye poodle," Karen said, trying to hide the fact that she was pleased with the simple kiss. After a few moments, she felt someone was watching her and looked up to see that Katherine was looking at her. "What?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing Kare," Katherine said, smirking. She looked back down at the sketch and work got underway at Grace Adler Designs. 


	2. Chapter Two: Appartment 9C

A/N: Big thanks to all of those who reviewed Chapter 1. Felicia, Lauren, ItsNotRightButItsOkay, and DJBBLACKKITTY, I am so happy that you like the Jack/Karen idea. I will do my best to write the part where they get together using the best of my writing abilities ;)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters. Only a few people here and there are my own creation.  
  
Chapter Two Appartment 9C  
  
"Come on Kare," Jack said, pulling her out of the elevator and down the  
  
hallway of the ninth floor.  
  
"Why are you making me come here?" Karen asked.  
  
"Hey, she's your sister Karen, and you did say you would stop by," Jack  
  
said as they stopped in front of the door of 9C.  
  
"Alright, but I'm only staying for ten minutes and then I'm out of here," Karen said as Jack knocked on the door.  
  
"Hello you guys," Katherine said when she opened the door. "Come on in."  
  
"Oh Kath honey," Karen said once she closed the door behind them. "What are you wearing?"  
  
Katherine had on blue jeans and a t-shirt that had a small Union Jack on it with England in large letters underneath it. "I'm unpacking Kare," she answered. "I can't really do that in a business suit."  
  
"Where did you get all this stuff?" Jack asked. He had walked over to an open box and was looking inside.  
  
"My sister-in-law Sara was able to get all the stuff that was mine or I  
  
inherited and shipped it to me," Katherine said.  
  
"Hey Kat, take a look at this," Jack said, pulling out what looked like a tiny coffin made of black leather.  
  
"Oh my god," Katherine said, rushing over to him and taking the coffin.  
  
"She didn't."  
  
"What is that Kath?" Karen asked.  
  
Katherine didn't answer, but she opened the top of the coffin and revealed what was inside it. There was an assortment of jewelry in it and it all shone brightly in the sun coming through the window.  
  
"Wow, this stuff is beautiful," Jack said, picking up a necklace with emeralds on it.  
  
"There's a note," Katherine said, pulling out a piece of white paper. "'Robert has forgotten about your mum's jewelry. So I'm sending it to you since I'll never wear this stuff,'" she read.  
  
"Anybody home?" Will asked, opening the door to the apartment. He walk  
  
inside, carrying a brown paper bag, Grace behind him.  
  
"Hi you guys," Katherine said, turning to them.  
  
"Woah, Kat," Grace said, spying the jewelry. "Where did you get that stuff?"  
  
"That belonged to my mum," Katherine said.  
  
"We brought you and Amber some food," Will said, giving the paper bag to Katherine.  
  
"Thanks Will," Katherine said. "And you too Grace."  
  
"So are you thinking of a theme to decorate this place?" Grace said, looking around.  
  
"I might just do each room a separate color," Katherine said.  
  
All of a sudden, there was the noise of nails on the wooden floor and a  
  
small dog came out of one of the two bedrooms. "Essie, come back!" Amber cried, running out of the room.  
  
"You got a dog Kath?" Karen asked, finally looking away from the jewelry and seeing the dog. "What kind of dog is that?"  
  
"It's a pug," Katherine said.  
  
"His name is Essex," Amber said, picking the dog up and walking over to  
  
Karen. "Want to pet him Auntie Karen?"  
  
"Oh honey, no thanks," Karen said, smiling.  
  
"Kat, do you mind if I look at the other rooms?" Grace asked.  
  
"Not at all," Katherine said. "Amber, why don't you go with her and take Essex."  
  
"Alright mummy," Amber said, following Grace over to the hallway.  
  
"Listen Kat, I've got to go and talk with a client right now," Will said, looking at his watch.  
  
"Alright, well thank you for stopping by," Katherine said, going over and hugging him briefly. "And thank you so much for the food."  
  
"You're welcome," Will said. "I'll talk to you guys later. Bye."  
  
Jack and Karen, who were still pawing through the jewelry didn't acknowledge him.  
  
Once the door had closed behind Will, Karen said, "I wanted to ask you a favor Kath."  
  
"If it's to go shopping with you, forget it," Katherine said, walking over to the kitchen and placing the food in the paper bag in the refrigerator.  
  
"No, not that," Karen said. "I got an invitation to Louise Spencer's Holiday Ball."  
  
"Holiday Ball?" Katherine said laughingly. "I didn't think they still had those here in the States."  
  
"Well Louise Spencer does and it's next Saturday," Karen said. "And I want you to come with me since I don't want to go by myself."  
  
"Alright, I'll go," Katherine said. "But on two conditions."  
  
"Okay," Karen said a little reluctantly.  
  
"One, that Jack gets to come with us," Katherine said. "And two, you get a dress that is not black or red."  
  
Karen looked a little confused at the last request, but then she said, "Okay, but I get to pick your dress."  
  
"Deal," Katherine said.  
  
"Wait, why do you want me to go?" Jack asked.  
  
"I'll be bored out of my mind there," Katherine said. "This is a high society gathering I wager?"  
  
"It is," Karen answered. "But weren't you raised in British high society?"  
  
"My parents hated to go to those kinds of parties," Katherine said, unpacking a box that in the kitchen. "They went to one or two, but they never took Robert and me until we were teenagers."  
  
"Then what's with all the jewelry honey?" Karen asked.  
  
"Oh, those are family heirlooms," Katherine answered. "Oh, Kare, what am I supposed to do about Amber?"  
  
"Will and I can watch her," Grace said, coming out of the hallway.  
  
"You two won't have any plans next Saturday?" Katherine asked.  
  
Jack and Karen glanced at each other and started to snicker.  
  
"No, and besides, Amber just asked me if she could come over to our apartment one night for another sleepover," Grace said.  
  
"Can Essex come too?" Amber asked.  
  
"Sure, I just hope he's housebroken," Grace said.  
  
"He is Grace," Katherine said. "When do you want to go get the dresses  
  
Kare?"  
  
"We can go tonight," Karen said, she was looking at the jewelry again.  
  
"Okay," Katherine said. "And yes you can borrow some of the jewelry for the party."  
  
"Thanks Kath," Karen said, smiling. "You're the best. Come on Jackie,  
  
I'll go and buy you some lunch and then we can go pick a nice suit for you to wear to the party."  
  
"Bye you guys," Jack called as Karen took his arm and pulled him out the door. 


	3. Chapter Three: Shopping Trip

A/N: I mention two dresses in this chapter that Karen and Katherine are going to wear in the next chapter. I based them off two pics of which I have the  
  
links to. This is the link to the pic of the dress Karen is supposed to wear: (if you go look at the pic, keep in mind that in the story the dress is supposed to be blue). And this  
  
is the link to the pic of the dress Katherine is going to wear: (this dress is supposed to be dark green).  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters. Only a few here and there are mine.  
  
Chapter Three Shopping Trip  
  
Later that night, Katherine met Jack and Karen at a restaurant called 'Lincolnshire Pub' for a quick dinner before they went to Barney's.  
  
"Hullo guys," Katherine said as Jack and Karen sat down across from her  
  
in the booth she was at. "Glad you made it here all right."  
  
"Kath, what kind of food do they serve here?" Karen asked.  
  
"English and Irish food," Katherine answered. She flagged down a waitress and said, "I have been feeling a bit homesick."  
  
"How come?" Jack asked.  
  
Before Katherine could answer, the waitress arrived at their table and said, "Good evening, what can I get you three to drink?"  
  
"Three pints of Guinness please," Katherine said quickly. "And we'll all have the Irish stew."  
  
The waitress wrote down something on her pad of paper and then said, "I'll be right back with your drinks."  
  
"Since when do you drink liquor?" Karen asked, surprised.  
  
"Guinness doesn't really count Kare," Katherine said as the waitress came over and set down three glasses with a thick brown liquid in them. Katherine picked up her glass and held it up to the other two. "A toast for good luck on this shopping trip," she said, looking directly at Karen.  
  
"Yes, I agree," Karen said quickly, picking up a glass.  
  
"Do the English have a special word for when you make a toast?" Jack asked, picking up the last glass.  
  
"No, but the Irish do," Katherine said. "You say slàinte. Slàinte"  
  
"Slàinte," Karen and Jack repeated slowly, touching their glasses with Katherine's.  
  
"What did you order for us to eat Kat?" Jack asked, when he finished sipping the beer.  
  
"Irish stew," Katherine said. "It's probably the only thing that you'll like here. It has meat, potatoes, carrots, that kind of stuff." She looked at the expressions on Karen and Jack's faces and said, "You'll like it."  
  
~~~  
  
An hour later, the three finished their meal and left the restaurant.  
  
"That was good soup," Jack said as they walked over to where the limo was parked.  
  
"You mean stew Jackie," Katherine said, correcting him. "Did you like it Kare?"  
  
"It was awful," Karen answered.  
  
"Just because I wouldn't let you have that second pint of Guinness," Katherine said laughingly as they got into the limo.  
  
Karen didn't say anything to her, but yelled to the driver, "Barney's Driver!"  
  
~~~  
  
Once inside Barney's, Karen led them over to the evening dresses section.  
  
"How fancy do we need to dress for this Kare?" Katherine asked, eyeing the dresses.  
  
"Just leave it to me honey," Karen said. "I went to this party for the  
  
last million years, I know what you'll need to wear."  
  
Katherine nodded and then looked at the price tag of a shiny pink dress  
  
that was near her. "Oh, uh Kare," she whispered. "I don't know about you, but if I bought one of these dresses, I'll likely be in debt for the rest of my  
  
life."  
  
"Don't worry Kath," Karen said, looking through a bunch of black dresses. "I'll buy your dress."  
  
"You don't need to do that," Katherine said immediately. "I can just go get a dress someplace less expense-"  
  
"Just let her buy it Kat," Jack said, putting a hand on her arm. "She'll be too stubborn to change her mind. Now come with me and we'll look for her dress."  
  
"Watch out for what she picks for me Jackie," Karen said as they went to the other side of the section.  
  
"Maybe you should have gone with Karen," Katherine said as they looked at some blue dresses.  
  
"How come?" Jack said, absentmindedly.  
  
"Because you two are cu- never mind Jack," Katherine said, turning her attention to the dresses.  
  
An hour later, Jack and Katherine walked over to where Karen was, Katherine was holding a dress.  
  
"Only one?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"We had some heavy discussions on what you would wear and what would look good on you," Katherine said. "And in the end, only one met both our requirements."  
  
"Well I've only got one for you too," Karen said, motioning to the dress slung over arm. "Let's go and try them on. Wait for us out here poodle."  
  
Jack sat in an armchair that was put just outside the dressing rooms and waited for Karen and Katherine to come back out with the dresses on.  
  
Katherine came out first. The dress was dark green and had a slit on the left side, showing a white underskirt. There was some embroidery right above the slit that was done in silver thread. The dress had thin straps and fit  
  
Katherine perfectly.  
  
Jack whistled low and said, "Now that is perfect on you Kat. You look like a real British lady."  
  
Katherine smiled and said, "Thank you very much Jackie-boy. But wait until you see Kare's dress."  
  
Karen walked out then, a skeptical look on her face. Her dress was blue and seemed to shimmer in the light. There was a bead design on the bodice and going down to the skirt, but it wasn't too gaudy since the beads were the same blue as the dress. There were no straps on this gown and it fit very well.  
  
"I just don't know Kath," Karen said doubtfully. "I don't think this blue looks too good on me."  
  
Jack meanwhile, was trying his hardest not to stare at Karen. He thought that she looked amazing in the dress. As he watched Karen look over Katherine's dress, he had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he wrenched his gaze over to Katherine.  
  
"I think that dress looks fine," Katherine said. "What do you think Jack?"  
  
Forcing a smile on his face, Jack said, "Kare you'll make them all drop  
  
dead in that dress!"  
  
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, smiling. She looked over at the full length mirror next to the armchair Jack was sitting in and turned around slowly. "Yes, I guess I'll get this one. What about you Kath?"  
  
"I like this one," Katherine said, glancing over at Jack, who was gazing at Karen. "I'm definitely going to have you buy this."  
  
"Great, now let's go and get so we can get some coffee," Karen said, taking Katherine's arm.  
  
"Sure thing," Katherine said as she was dragged back into the dressing room. She managed to look at Jack and saw that he was still looking at Karen, a half confused, half wistful look on his face.  
  
Jack settled back in the chair and tried to figure out what these feelings he was having for Karen were. Sure he knew she was an attractive woman, and he thought she was beautiful. But he was starting to feel as if he was attracted to her in a romantic way, not as friends as he had always been. He was still worrying over this when Katherine came out of the dressing room.  
  
"Jackie," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You may want to look over at the green dresses."  
  
"What are you..." Jack began to say, but then he saw what Katherine was  
  
getting at.  
  
Standing next to an old woman, obviously his mother, was a tall man with wavy black hair.  
  
Jack smiled when he felt the familiar click going on in his head. 'Yes, I am a gay man,' he said to himself as the man and his mother left the dresses section. He stood up and was about to go and try to talk with the man when  
  
Karen came out of the dressing room.  
  
"Okay, we can go pay now," Karen said. "You ready Jackie?"  
  
"Yep, let's get out of here," Jack said, forcing a smile on his face once again. He had wanted to ask the black haired man out, but when Karen had come, the strange feeling in his stomach returned and he lost the urge to go after the man.  
  
Katherine, who was watching Jack, sighed softly and then followed him as he followed Karen to the cash register. "You're both blind as bats," she whispered gently. And she stood behind them as they chatted while waiting for the person in front of them to finish paying. She knew what both of them were going through, and she hoped that they would eventually own up to the fact that they were attracted to each other romantically.  
  
'Well, mayhap I can talk to Jack and make him confront is feelings,' she thought to herself. 'Because I know Karen is too stubborn to try and convince.' She decided that the night of the party would be the best time to do it. Then, with a smile on her face, she caught up to Jack and Karen as they walked out of Barney's. 


	4. Chapter Four: Love Between Friends

A/N: Thank you to Felicia for your review of chapter 3. Glad that you liked Karen's dress and I hope you'll keep reviewing it.  
  
A/N #2: Okay readers, this is the big chapter. Jack and Karen will be getting together in this one. Since this is a long chapter, I in turn would love a long review from my readers if its possible ;) I would love to know what you thought of this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters. Only a few here and there are my own creations.  
  
Chapter Four Love Between Friends  
  
A week later, Katherine was helping Amber pack her overnight bag. "Now  
  
you remember to behave yourself when you're over at your Aunt Grace and Uncle Will's," she said.  
  
"I know Mummy," Amber said exasperatingly. "And I promise I will watch  
  
Essex."  
  
"Okay, have you got all your stuff?" Katherine asked.  
  
"Yes Mummy," Amber answered. "What about Essie's food?"  
  
"I've got it ready. Let's go," Katherine said.  
  
With the pug in tow, Katherine and Amber left their apartment and walked over to Will and Grace's. The door was unlocked, and Amber ran inside.  
  
"Hello Auntie Grace!" Amber cried.  
  
"Hi Amber, Kat," Grace said from the kitchen. "I hope you like Chinese  
  
food, Amb."  
  
"Is that where Will's at?" Kat asked.  
  
"Yep, and he went to rent some movies," Grace said. "None are going to  
  
be above PG, I drilled that into his head before he left."  
  
"Good, well I'm off. I'll come tomorrow morning and get Amber," Katherine said. "Say hello to Will for me."  
  
"I will. And you better show us your dress tomorrow," Grace said.  
  
Katherine smiled and nodded. "Alright Amber, come and give your mummy a kiss," she then said. Amber went over to her and Katherine kissed her forehead. "Have a good time love."  
  
"I will Mummy," Amber said. "Have fun at the party."  
  
Katherine left the apartment and walked over to Jack's knocking on the door lightly. When he didn't open the door, she used the key he'd had made for her when she and Amber had lived there and let herself into the apartment.  
  
Jack was inside the bathroom, staring at his face in the mirror. He looked horrible, and he felt horrible. For the past week, he had been think about Karen and what he was feeling for her at that point. He slept very little and he hadn't shaved in a while and had stubble on his face which he scratched at absently as he looked at his reflection.  
  
"You know that Karen would kill you if she saw you like this," a voice behind him said.  
  
Startled, Jack turned around and saw that it was Katherine standing in the doorway to the bathroom.  
  
"I let myself in with my key," Katherine said.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be at Karen's getting ready?" Jack asked, turning on the bathroom light.  
  
"I have to be there in a half hour," Katherine answered. "I thought I would come and see how you were doing since I haven't seen you since Thursday. When did you last see Karen?"  
  
"Thursday," Jack answered, turning back to the mirror. "I told her I was feeling sick."  
  
"I know what's going on Jackie," Katherine said, walking into the bathroom and standing next to him. "Well, at least I've got a pretty good idea of what's going on."  
  
"How can I have these feelings for her?" Jack blurted out, looking down  
  
at the sink. "I mean, I'm supposed to be the 'Queen of Queers' for crying out loud."  
  
"As much as I would love to answer that, I really can't," Katherine said, putting her arm around Jack's shoulders and rubbing his upper arm in a comforting way. "But I'm sure you've thought about it for a while now."  
  
"Yeah," Jack said. "And the more I think about her... the more I want to be with her, and not as her friend."  
  
Katherine was about to say something when her cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse and answered it. "Hello. Alright Karen, I'll come right now. Okay, bye." She hung up the phone, looked at Jack and sighed. "I've  
  
got to go Jackie, but we'll talk about this at the party okay?"  
  
"Sure," Jack said. "I'll be at the penthouse at six."  
  
"Don't look so sad Jackie," Katherine said, hugging him quickly. "Things'll work out for the best."  
  
"Thanks Kat," Jack said, and he leaned down kissing her cheek quickly.  
  
Katherine laughed and said, "Don't forget to shave."  
  
"I won't," Jack said. "And thanks for helping me out."  
  
"Wait until we talk later to thank me," Kat said, and with that she left the bathroom.  
  
~~~  
  
"I can't believe that my hairdresser canceled on me!" Karen said angrily. "What are we supposed to do about our hair!"  
  
"Kare, I believe I've got a solution," Katherine said, trying to calm her sister down.  
  
"You know another hairdresser?" Karen asked.  
  
"I can fix up our hair," Katherine said.  
  
"You?" Karen asked skeptically.  
  
"Just let me do yours and see if you like it," Katherine said.  
  
"Okay, okay," Karen said, rolling her eyes. "But I'm doing my own makeup."  
  
~~~  
  
Jack hunched down into his coat as snow began to fall on him. He walked down the sidewalk to Karen's penthouse quickly and went inside the building. He went up to Karen's penthouse and was let in by a maid.  
  
"Hi Jackie," Katherine said, coming down the stairs.  
  
"You look really nice Kat," Jack said as he took off his coat.  
  
Katherine had on her green dress and her hair was in a bun with a hair comb placed into it that had emeralds in it, she also wore an emerald necklace with diamonds. "Thanks Jack," she said. "And you look great too."  
  
Jack nodded and then said, "Where's Karen?"  
  
"I'm right here," Karen said from the staircase.  
  
Jack turned and felt as if he had been punched in the stomach as the all the air seemed to have left his lungs.  
  
Karen wore her blue dress and had on a necklace which had a large blue sapphire with pearls surrounding it. Her hair was upswept on the back of her head and a few stray hairs had been curled slightly. There were two sapphire and pearl hair clips on each side of her head.  
  
"Kare, you look fabulous," Jack said, trying to smile but not being able to. 'Oh god, how much I love her,' he thought in his mind.  
  
"Thank you poodle," Karen answered, smiling. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Oh, just fine Kare, don't worry," Jack said, waving his hand.  
  
"I'm going to get my shawl and then we can go," Karen said.  
  
When she had left the entrance to the penthouse, Jack turned to Katherine and said, "You could have warned me!"  
  
"Well I didn't know what your frame of mind was when she walked down the stairs did I?" Katherine retorted.  
  
"What's with the shouting, what's going on Kath?" Karen said, coming back, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.  
  
"Nothing at all," Katherine answered. "Let's just go."  
  
~~~  
  
"Karen Walker, how lovely to see you here again!" the hostess of the party, Louise Spencer cried.  
  
"It's a pleasure to be here," Karen said, in a voice indicating that it  
  
was not.  
  
"And who are your guests?" Louise asked.  
  
"This is my sister, Katherine Riley," Karen said.  
  
"Oh my, aren't you the adopted daughter of the Riley's of York, England?" Louise asked.  
  
"I am," Katherine said. "And thank you for allowing me to come."  
  
"A pleasure of course," Louise said. "And who is this?"  
  
"My friend, Jack McFarland," Karen said quickly. "If you'll excuse us Louise, I need to get something warm to drink." With that she walked into the large room being used for the party, Katherine and Jack following her.  
  
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Katherine asked.  
  
"Well they'll serve dinner," Karen said. "And after that, they have music and I guess people are supposed to dance."  
  
"Sounds like a great time," Jack said, his voice hollow. Since they had walked into the room, he noticed that the other men were eyeing Karen.  
  
An hour later, Jack separated himself from Karen and Katherine and grabbed a glass of champagne before walking out onto the balcony. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, watching the party going on inside, and he drank the champagne in one gulp.  
  
"You do stuff like that, Karen's going to know something's wrong," Katherine said as she walked out onto the balcony.  
  
"Are you following me?" Jack asked, anger in his voice.  
  
Katherine looked taken aback for a second, then she turned and saw what  
  
Jack had been watching inside the room. "Jack, we need to have that talk now," she said, turning from the view of Karen talking with a few handsome young men.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Jack muttered, putting his glass on the railing.  
  
"So you've realized that you have feelings for Karen that are more then  
  
friendly," Katherine said, standing next to him.  
  
"I love her," Jack said simply, looking into the room where Karen was now dancing with an older man.  
  
"Then you've got to see how she feels," Katherine said. "If you don't,  
  
you might take drastic actions." As she said that, her hand rubbed the scar on her wrist.  
  
"And how do I do that without ruining our friendship?" Jack asked.  
  
"Go back with her to the penthouse and fine some way to kiss her," Katherine said. "And I mean a real kiss, not just some peck on the cheek. If you manage to do that and she responds, then you've got something."  
  
"That's an awful idea Kat," Jack said, still watching Karen. "But I'll  
  
try it."  
  
Katherine smiled and placed her hand on his arm.  
  
"There you are Kath," Karen said, coming out onto the balcony. "This is Lord Abner, I think you know him."  
  
"Of course I do," Katherine said, squeezing Jack's arm quickly and walking over to Karen.  
  
"Aren't you cold out here Jackie?" Karen asked when Katherine and Lord Abner went inside to dance.  
  
"Not really," Jack said.  
  
"There is something wrong, isn't there poodle?" Karen asked, walking to  
  
him.  
  
"Yeah, but let's talk about it later tonight," Jack said. He smiled down at her despite the nervousness he felt creeping up on him as he thought of what he was going to try to do later.  
  
Karen nodded and then she spied a person walking towards the balcony. "Oh no, it's Peter March," she groaned. "He's been trying to get me to dance with him all night. Quick Jackie, let's go dance." She took his hand and led him inside and to the dance floor.  
  
~~~  
  
The party wound down at around twelve thirty, and Jack was more than ready to leave. He walked over to Karen and said, "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"I sure am poodle," Karen answered. "These people are starting to get on my nerves. We just need to get Katherine."  
  
"Oh, right," Jack said. Between his conversation with her on the balcony until now, he had completely forgot about Katherine. He was still feeling nervous about what he was going to do.  
  
"There she is," Karen said. "Kath, we're ready to go home, let's go."  
  
"Listen, Lord and Lady Abner have invited me out for some tea, or I guess I should say coffee," Katherine said, smiling. "They're going to give me a  
  
ride back to my apartment."  
  
"Oh, well then I'll call you tomorrow," Karen said. She kissed Katherine's cheek quickly and said, "Thanks for coming."  
  
"It was the least I could do," Katherine said, hugging Karen. Then she  
  
went over to Jack and gave him a hug. "Good luck Jackie-boy," she whispered in his ear.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," Jack said as Katherine walked over to Lord and  
  
Lady Abner. "Come on Kare, let's go." He took her hand and led her out of the house and to Karen's limo.  
  
Driving back to her penthouse, Karen noticed that Jack seemed to be nervous. "Why don't you tell me what you wanted to talk to me about poodle?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.  
  
Jack jumped a little in his seat and then shook his head. "I want to talk at the penthouse," he said firmly.  
  
"Okay," Karen said, a little surprised at the way Jack was acting.  
  
Once they got back to the penthouse, Jack led Karen straight up to her room. Once inside, he shut the door and turned to face her.  
  
"Jackie you're starting to scare me," Karen said a little worriedly.  
  
"Karen, I've had a problem for the last week or so," Jack said, ignoring her statement.  
  
"What kind of problem?" Karen asked.  
  
"I'm in love... with a woman," Jack said, holding his breath in anticipation for Karen's reaction.  
  
"Oh," Karen managed to say. She realized with a shock that she was madly jealous of this woman, whoever she was. And then a second thought hit her like lightning, she was, after months of denying it, in love with Jack. "Well poodle, tell me who she is."  
  
Jack walked over to Karen and stopped a foot in front of her. Staring down into her eyes, he leaned down slightly and pressed his lips to hers.  
  
Surprised by the kiss, Karen didn't respond at first, but then she closed her eyes and kissed him back. When he pulled back from her to breathe, she  
  
said, "Good lord honey, who on earth did you visualize-" Before she could finish her sentence, Jack's lips were back on hers once again.  
  
Jack couldn't believe that Karen had returned his first kiss. So he kissed her a second time to make sure, wrapping his arms around her waist so she would know he was being serious. He was surprised when he felt Karen's hands on the back of his neck, and she was kissing him back with as much passion as he was kissing her. 'She loves me!' Jack's brain seemed to scream at him. He pulled back slowly, the need to breathe once again ending the kiss. He opened his eyes and looked down at Karen.  
  
"Jack?" she asked in a nervous scared tone of voice.  
  
Not saying anything, Jack pulled the clips out of her hair and then took off the necklace. He then walked over to the night stand next to the bed and set the jewelry there.  
  
Karen walked over to the bed and stood next to him. "Jackie, this woman you're in love with... " she whispered.  
  
"You, Kare," Jack said, turning to her. He took her in his arms again and kissed her deeply. After a few moments, he realized that something on the back of her dress was digging into the palm of his hand, and he realized it was the zipper. He moved his hand so he was holding it in his thumb and index fingers and hesitated for a moment. 'If you do this,' he said to himself. 'You can't stop or else you'll lose her.' At that same moment, Karen pulled away from the kiss and whispered, "I love you Jack, so much." The hesitation suddenly disappeared, and Jack pulled down the zipper of the dress saying, "I love you so much too Karen." And he very gently pushed her down onto the bed, and within several minutes, they were making love. 


	5. Chapter Five: Beautiful Day

A/N: Brief (very, very brief) mentioning of nudity.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Five Beautiful Day  
  
Karen was laying on her side in her bed, her mind whirling with thoughts. 'I have just had sex with my best friend who also happens to be gay,' was the one thought that was prevalent in her mind. But that wasn't bothering her too much. What was bothering her was the question of what she and Jack were going to do next. She loved him dearly, and she wanted to be with him again after tonight.  
  
'What if he decides that this was just a one night stand,' a nasty voice said in the back of her mind. 'What will you do then? Cry every night because he's not holding you in his arms like he is now?' Karen shut her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the voice and trying to keep from crying, because she knew that the voice was right about one thing. She would cry without Jack to hold her at night. The more she thought about being alone in the huge bed every night from now on was too much for her, and her body shook as she cried silently.  
  
Jack yawned and opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised at the fact that he was holding Karen. And he definitely wasn't surprised that both he and Karen were naked. What did surprise him, was that Karen was crying. "Kare?" he whispered into her ear softly.  
  
Karen turned over and looked at him with a melancholic look on her face, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Brushing the tears off her face with his hand, Jack kissed her deeply, pulling her close to him. He knew why she was crying, and he wanted to delay the inevitable fact that he was going to have to re-think his sexuality later on in the day.  
  
They eventually made love again, trying to forget that with the coming dawn, they would have to separate for a while.  
  
~~~  
  
Pulling on her dark blue robe, Karen waited for Jack to get out of the shower so they could talk.  
  
It was six o'clock and Jack wanted to leave before Will or Grace might go to his apartment and find him missing. Or come to the penthouse to find him here wearing the same clothes he had worn the night before.  
  
Karen was looking out the window and out at the sunrise when she felt two arms come around her from behind. She sighed and leaned back against Jack,  
  
feeling him rest his chin on the top of her head.  
  
"It's going to be a beautiful day," Jack whispered.  
  
"What now Jackie?" Karen asked after hesitating for a few moments.  
  
Jack sighed and said, "I guess I'm going to need some time to think about how this affects my being gay."  
  
"What if you decide you're still gay?" Karen whispered, pain evident in  
  
her voice.  
  
"I don't think I will," Jack answered. "But I just need to think about  
  
whether or not I'm ready to try and start a relationship with you. That is, if you want to date me of course."  
  
Karen laughed softly and said, "You know you don't have to ask." She turned around and put her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Don't take too long to think, okay Jack?"  
  
"I'll try to do it as fast as I can," Jack said.  
  
"Can you do me a favor before you go?" Karen asked when they had let go  
  
of each other.  
  
"What?" Jack asked.  
  
"Kiss me one more time," Karen said.  
  
It only took Jack a few seconds to close the space between him and Karen and he kissed her deeply. When they pulled back, he held her to him, not wanting to let go. After a few moments, he sighed and said, "I guess I should go."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you later," Karen said.  
  
Jack kissed her forehead quickly and then turned to leave the room. He  
  
got to the door when Karen called out to him.  
  
"I love you Jack," she said when he had turned around.  
  
"Love you too Karen," Jack said. Karen blew him a kiss and he winked at her before leaving.  
  
Karen walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. She never had felt so alone in the penthouse as she did now. She looked out the window, watching the sun rise further and then sighed. 'There's nothing I can do but wait to see what Jack decides,' she thought. 'And until then I'll have to act like nothing has changed.' She then decided to start her Christmas shopping later on that day, to try and get her mind off of what would happen to her if Jack decided that he didn't want to have a relationship with her.  
  
~~~  
  
Katherine was having a dream about her home. In this dream she and her  
  
brother Robert (known as Bobby by the family) were playing in the snow one Christmas Eve day. All of a sudden, her brother started throwing snowballs at her. And even though the snow under their feet was hard, the snowballs felt soft. "Cut it out Bobby!" she cried.  
  
"Hey Kat, it's me. Wake up!" another voice said.  
  
Opening her eyes, Katherine looked around her room and saw that Jack was standing at the foot of her bed. "Jack, what the bloody hell are you doing  
  
here? It's... six thirty in the morning!" she cried, sitting up and looking at her clock.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that every thing went perfectly last night," Jack said.  
  
Katherine then noticed that Jack was still wearing his suit pants and coat and white shirt, all of which were wrinkled. "I told you she felt the same way," she said, yawning. "Come on and I'll make us some tea." She got of bed and pulled on her silk robe over her pajamas.  
  
"Why not coffee?" Jack asked, following her into the kitchen.  
  
"Because I'd prefer to sleep for a bit longer after you leave," Katherine said, filling a tea kettle with water and then putting it on the stove. "Speaking of which, why aren't you still with Karen?"  
  
The smiled that had been on Jack's face, suddenly disappeared and he said, "I told her I needed to think if I was ready to start a relationship with her or not."  
  
Katherine nodded and said, "Good idea Jack, because you don't want to rush yourself after being gay for so long." She paused for a long moment and then looked at Jack. "Well, you don't want to rush yourself into a relationship now. Other things... obviously you both couldn't put off," she said with a  
  
knowing smirk.  
  
"Ha-ha Kat," Jack said, a slightly annoyed look on his face. "At least  
  
I'm not the one who was having a sex dream about some guy named Bobby."  
  
Katherine laughed and then took the kettle off the stove and poured the  
  
hot water into two mugs with tea bags in them. "I had a dream about when my brother and I had a snowball fight one Christmas Eve."  
  
"Oh," Jack said.  
  
"So how long do you think you'll take to decide?" Katherine said, sipping her tea.  
  
"The less time, the better," Jack said.  
  
"Then you'd better go and get some sleep so you'll be able to go back to Karen sooner," Katherine said.  
  
They finished their tea in silence after that and then Jack left the apartment, going to his own. Once inside his room, he pulled off his shoes and fell back onto the bed. He thought that he would fall asleep quickly, but memories of the night before kept distracting him. Finally he gave up on sleep and started to think over the idea of having a relationship with Karen. 


	6. Chapter Six: No More Lonely Nights

A/N: Thank you to Felicia for reviewing the last chapter.  
  
A/N #2: In this chapter, will be Jack's decision. Since this chapter is rather long, I would a appreciate a long review if it's possible.  
  
A/N #3: The title of this chapter is also the title of a great song by Paul  
  
McCartney.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Six No More Lonely Nights  
  
"Good morning Uncle Will," Amber said, walking out of the hallway.  
  
"Morning Amb," Will said. "Grace still asleep?"  
  
"Yep, and so's Essex," Amber said with a little giggle.  
  
"Come here and I'll make you an omelet," Will said.  
  
While he was having Amber help him make her omelet, there was a sudden screech that came from Grace's room. A few seconds later, Essex and Grace ran into the room.  
  
"Why was he in my bed?" Grace asked as the pug looked up at her, wagging it's tail excitedly.  
  
"Sorry Auntie Grace," Amber said. "But Essex always sleeps in my bed. I guess he must have jumped up during the night."  
  
"It's ok Amber," Grace said. "Why don't you go and get dressed before you eat your omelet? I'm sure your mom is going to be here soon."  
  
"Okay," Amber said. She left the kitchen and went into Grace's room, Essex following her.  
  
"I swear, that dog took ten years off my life," Grace said, walking into the kitchen and pouring a cup of coffee for herself. "It was lying on Amber's pillow, so it was the first thing I saw when I woke up. That little face can be very scary."  
  
"So you like Essex huh?" Will asked, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, he's cute," Grace said smiling back.  
  
The door to the apartment opened, and Katherine stepped inside. "Good morning you guys," she said.  
  
"Hi Kat," Grace said.  
  
"Hey, want an omelet Kat?" Will asked.  
  
"No, that's okay," Katherine said. "I could do with a cup of coffee though, if I may filch one from you guys."  
  
"Go ahead," Grace said, sitting down at the table.  
  
"Mummy!" Amber cried as she stepped out of the hallway and saw Katherine. She ran over to her and hugged her.  
  
"Did you have a good time last night love?" Katherine asked.  
  
"Uh-huh," Amber said. "We watched Sinbad and Finding Nemo last night!"  
  
"Sounds like you did have a good time," Katherine said. "Essex wasn't a problem, was he?"  
  
"Nope," Will said. "Oh, well, not unless you want to count him scaring  
  
Grace when she woke up being a problem."  
  
Katherine laughed. "I should have warned you he likes to sleep with Amber at night Gracie, sorry."  
  
"It's alright," Grace said. "So come sit and tell us how was the party  
  
last night?"  
  
Katherine smiled and walked over to the table, sitting in the seat next  
  
to Grace. "It was a little fun, I did meet a couple who were friends of my  
  
parents," she said.  
  
Will went over to the table with two plates in his hands, he put them both in front of Katherine as Amber was sitting on her lap. "Keep going, and don't forget any juicy details," he said, walking back to the kitchen.  
  
Katherine laughed and then proceeded to tell them about the night before, leaving out the parts where she talked to Jack about Karen.  
  
~~~  
  
Karen collapsed on the bed after changing into her pajamas. A full day  
  
of shopping for other people had left her literally exhausted. The good thing was, she had managed to finish all of her Christmas shopping in one day. As she pulled the sheets over her, Karen felt her mind drifting back to Jack.  
  
Unfortunately, this brought back the memories of the night before and what they had done together.  
  
Sighing, Karen turned on her side and looked at the clock on the night stand. It read one twenty five. 'This about the time that we made love,' Karen thought to herself. Then with a frustrated groan, she turned over onto her  
  
other side and was faced with the other half of the huge bed.  
  
Seeing the empty bed was too much for her, and Karen immediately burst into tears. She curled up into a fetal position and let herself cry. And for the rest of the night, between moments of dozing for a few minutes, she spent the rest of the night sobbing and missing Jack like crazy.  
  
~~~  
  
In his own bed, Jack wasn't doing too well either. He was still thinking about the idea of having a relationship with Karen. And now, he was distracted by the fact that he was alone in the bed, without Karen to hold. After an hour of twisting and turning, first away from the clock, and then away from  
  
the other half of the empty bed, Jack got out of bed.  
  
Cursing slightly underneath his breath, he walked out of his bedroom and sat down in front of his tv, turning it on. There was nothing but infomercials, so after flipping through the channels for a minute, he left the tv on an infomercial about a new cooking utensil.  
  
And that was how Jack spent the rest of Sunday night and early Monday morning, sitting in front of the tv, not really watching it, and thinking of Karen.  
  
~~~  
  
"I have to go over to the Dolmen apartment in ten minutes," Grace said.  
  
"So you'll have to close up the place."  
  
"Okay," Katherine said. "And do you want me to leave the sketches on your table?"  
  
"Sure," Grace said. "I'll look them over tomorrow."  
  
The door to Grace's office opened and Karen walked inside and went over  
  
to her desk, sitting down.  
  
"Hmm, this has to be a new record Karen," Grace said, looking at her watch. "It's two thirty, why didn't you just call and say you weren't going to come in?"  
  
Karen didn't answer, and she started to take out all her bottles of nail polish and her file.  
  
"And why are you still wearing your sunglasses?" Grace asked.  
  
Again, Karen didn't answer her.  
  
"Gracie, you'd better get over to the Dolmen place," Katherine said.  
  
"Oh, right," Grace said, looking at her watch. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that she grabbed her purse and a roll of fabric, leaving the office.  
  
"Rough night then Kare?" Katherine asked, once she was sure Grace was gone.  
  
Karen sighed, opened her desk drawer and swept all her nail polish bottles and file into it. "I thought you might have talked to Jackie about me," she said, pulling off her glasses.  
  
"Oh Kare..." Katherine said, seeing her sister's eyes.  
  
"I tried eye drops, but they wouldn't work," Karen said. When she had finally dragged herself out of bed that morning, her eyes were red and her face was blotchy from crying.  
  
Katherine hurried over to Karen and gave her a long hug. "He told me about have to think over a relationship with you," she said when she let go of her sister. She then went to her work table and grabbed her chair which she rolled over next to Karen's desk.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm just afraid that he's going to decide that what happened  
  
the other night was nothing," Karen said, trying not to cry again. "That he's still gay."  
  
"I don't know Kare," Katherine said. "You'll have to wait until he tells you his decision."  
  
"I just can't spend another night alone in that bed," Karen said, and then she slumped forward, putting her head on the desk.  
  
"Well, why don't you come over to the apartment tonight?" Katherine said, putting her hand on Karen's back.  
  
"What you mean like a sleepover?" Karen asked, lifting her head slightly.  
  
"Sure, and we can share my bed if you like," Katherine said.  
  
"Better than sleeping in that damn continent of a bed," Karen said.  
  
Katherine laughed and said, "Alright, I'll close up the office and we can stop at your place so you can get some clothes for tomorrow." She stood up  
  
from her chair and rolled it back to her table.  
  
"Hey Kath," Karen said, standing up. "Thanks."  
  
"That's what sisters are for," Katherine said, with a quick wink.  
  
~~~  
  
"So what did you and the Abners talk about Saturday night when you went  
  
out for coffee?" Karen asked. It was eleven o'clock and she was laying in Katherine's bed while Katherine was brushing her teeth.  
  
"I asked them a lot of questions about York and the family manor," Katherine said, coming out of the bathroom and turning off the light. "And they told me how my brother and sister-in-law are doing. I'll be back in a second."  
  
"Is Amber asleep?" Karen asked when Katherine came back into the room.  
  
"Yep," Katherine answered. She walked over to the empty side of the bed and quickly got under the covers as it was very cold in the apartment. She  
  
quickly turned on her side to face her sister, who was laying on her back looking up at the ceiling. "I never really asked you Kare," she said quietly, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. "How much do you love him?"  
  
Karen smiled to herself and closed her eyes. "A lot," she said simply.  
  
"More than your shoe collection?" Katherine then asked teasingly.  
  
"Yes, and more then my clothes and all my jewels," Karen responded seriously.  
  
Katherine lifted her head up and looked at her sister. "Kare, you know, I've got a feeling you're not going to be able to sleep tonight either," she said.  
  
"You're probably right Kath," Karen said.  
  
"Next to the front door in the cabinet where I have the bowl for my keys," Katherine began. "I have the key to Jack's apartment in the first drawer."  
  
Karen turned to Katherine, her eyes wide. "But-" she started to say.  
  
"You need to se him again or else you'll die from lack of sleep," Katherine said matter-of-factly. "Go on Kare, go to him." She gave her sister a gentle push.  
  
"I'm sorry," Karen said as she pulled on her robe and picked up her overnight bag.  
  
"Go on Kare," Katherine said quietly. "I just want you to be happy."  
  
"Thank you Kath," Karen said. Then she left the apartment, stopping to  
  
get the key to Jack's apartment. She walked across the hallway quickly and  
  
opened Jack's door and slipped inside.  
  
Jack was sitting on the edge of his bed, not looking forward to another  
  
night of sitting in front of the tv. After staring at the floor for what seemed like forever, he sighed and stood up, walking out of his room and towards the tv.  
  
"Hi Jackie," Karen said softly when she saw him walk out of his room.  
  
"Karen?" Jack asked, surprised. "You..." he started to say, but he stopped and hurried over to her.  
  
Karen had walked towards him once he had said her name and they met in the middle of the room, hugging each other tightly.  
  
Placing his forehead against hers Jack said, "God Kare, I've been so messed up since I left on Sunday morning."  
  
"Me too poodle," Karen said. She kissed his lips softly. "I know that  
  
you need to think about us, but I've missed you so much and-"  
  
"I've already made up my mind," Jack said, interrupting her. "And I realized that I can't stand not holding you at night Kare. I want to be with you, forever if it's possible."  
  
Karen was almost in tears at his words and hugged him tightly again.  
  
"But, you need to realize some things if we start dating," Jack said.  
  
"When we start dating," Karen said quickly.  
  
Jack nodded and then said, "It's not going to be perfect-"  
  
"What relationship is?" Karen interrupted.  
  
"It's going to take some work to make things run smoothly between us-"  
  
"That's okay, this is the good kind of work."  
  
"And we'll probably argue all the time."  
  
"That won't be anything new Jackie."  
  
Jack looked down at Karen and started to laugh. He was so happy that he picked her up and whirled her around a few times. "I love you Karen," he said when he had put her down.  
  
Karen smiled. "I never told you how much I love you Jack," she said.  
  
"It's okay," Jack said. "I can see it in your eyes."  
  
"Let me tell you anyway," Karen said. "Kath asked me few minutes ago how much I love you. I told her that I love you more than my shoes, clothes and jewelry.  
  
Jack was quiet at that. "Wow," he finally said. "I didn't know that Kare. And you know I love you more than anything I've ever wanted at Barney's right?"  
  
"Yes poodle, I know," Karen said. She pulled Jack's head down to hers and they kissed deeply for a few moments.  
  
When they pulled apart, Jack suddenly lifted Karen up into his arms and  
  
walked to him bedroom. He set her down on the bed and said, "You know I would love nothing more than to make love to you right now but-"  
  
"I'm tired," they said in unison.  
  
"I know Jackie," Karen then said. "I haven't slept for a long time and  
  
I'm tired too. Can you just hold me tonight?"  
  
"Of course," Jack said. He climbed onto the bed and went under the covers next to Karen, who quickly rested her head on his chest. "Night Karebear," he whispered, kissing her forehead.  
  
"Good night poodle," Karen responded, snuggling on his chest and falling asleep quickly.  
  
~~~  
  
The next morning at ten, Jack and Karen shared a quick breakfast before  
  
Karen got ready to go back to Katherine's apartment.  
  
"Why don't you come to my place tonight poodle?" Karen asked. Before he could answer her, she then said, "I just got a crazy idea. Why don't you move into the penthouse? It would be a lot better if we lived together than having to decide who's place we go to every night."  
  
Jack's eyes widened and he didn't say anything for a few minutes. "Well, I'd love to Kare, but you know that if I do, we'll have to tell Will and Grace about us?"  
  
"I don't mind," Karen said.  
  
"Okay with me too," Jack said. "Just give me three days and I can have  
  
everything I need in boxes, ready to go." He and Karen jumped up and down and clapped happily.  
  
"I guess I should go," Karen said, once they had calmed down. "Come and give me a kiss before I go Jackie."  
  
Jack walked over to her quickly and kissed her deeply, not hearing his apartment door open.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" a voice behind them suddenly cried. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Discovered

A/N: This chapter isn't too good, but I implore you to read it so you can understand what's going to happen in the next chapter, which hopefully will be better.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Seven Discovered  
  
Jack and Karen turned around and faced a shocked Will and Grace.  
  
"Karen, what are you doing here?" Grace asked.  
  
"I-I, well I was just-" Karen stammered, completely taken aback by the intrusion.  
  
"Um, Will, Grace," Jack began, putting a hand on Karen's back. "We have something we want to tell you."  
  
"Oh, so there's a reason why we opened the door to find you two making out like a couple of horny teenagers?" Will said, anger in his voice.  
  
"Look, a couple of months ago, I realized that I've had these strange feelings whenever I was around Karen," Jack said. "And after a lot of thought, I decided that I was in love with her."  
  
"WHAT!" Will yelled. "How can you be in love with a woman? And Karen no less."  
  
"I didn't think you would understand Wilma," Karen said. "Jack is in love with me."  
  
"Oh, and what, you're not?" Will asked, the anger still in his voice.  
  
Karen took Jack's hand in her own and said to Will defiantly, "I am very much in love with Jack."  
  
"And so what, you just told each other now?" Grace said.  
  
"We told each other on Saturday night after the party we went to," Jack  
  
said.  
  
"Wait, Jack I came over here on Sunday morning at three and you weren't  
  
here," Will said.  
  
"Why did you come here at three in the morning?" Jack asked, confused.  
  
"I needed an extra pillowcase for Amber," Will said. "Where were you Jack?"  
  
Jack glanced down at Karen, who nodded back at him. "I was with Karen," he answered.  
  
"Well, how wonderful," Will said sarcastically. "Congrats to you both and may you have a long and happy life together." With that he walked out of the apartment and towards the elevator.  
  
"What's the matter with him?" Karen asked Grace.  
  
"I don't know," Grace said, looking surprised. "Maybe you should try and talk to him Jack."  
  
"I think I'd rather wear a potato sack for shirt then do that," Jack said quickly.  
  
"I guess I'm going to have to then," Grace said sighing. "I'm going to  
  
keep the office closed today Karen. Let Kat know, will you?"  
  
"Wait a second Grace," Karen said before she could leave the apartment.  
  
"What do you think about this?"  
  
Grace sighed again and said, "I really don't mind, and I am glad you two are happy together."  
  
"Thanks Grace," Jack said.  
  
"I'm going to go talk with Will," Grace said. "I'll call you guys later." With that she turned and left the apartment.  
  
"Jackie," Karen said a few minutes later. "Shouldn't we tell her that you're moving into the penthouse?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Jack said. "I'll go and catch up to Grace, go and tell Kat there's no work for you guys today." He then kissed Karen quickly on the cheek and left the apartment.  
  
Karen picked up her overnight bag and left Jack's apartment, locking it  
  
behind her. She walked over to Katherine's and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, when no one had opened the door, she knocked louder this time.  
  
Again, no one answered the door, so she turned and went to the elevator, going down.  
  
"Hey Kare," Katherine called when she had stepped out of the apartment building.  
  
"I was just at your place, where were you?" Karen asked.  
  
"I had to run a few errands," Katherine said. "I saw Jack and Grace, they're around the corner. So they found out about you guys?"  
  
"Yeah, and I don't think I've ever seen Will so upset," Karen said. "He couldn't be jealous because I'm dating Jack, could he?"  
  
"I think it's a different kind of jealousy if that's what it is," Katherine said.  
  
"Grace said she's going to talk to Will at lunch," Jack said, coming up  
  
to Katherine and Karen.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll head up to my apartment," Katherine said. "Enjoy your day off Kare."  
  
"Wait a second Kat," Jack said, grabbing her arm as she started to walk  
  
away from them. "Spend the day with us. Or at least until you need to get  
  
Amber from school."  
  
"Well, I have an appointment at two o'clock," Katherine said. "But I'm  
  
sure I can tag along with you both until then."  
  
"Great honey, lets go out for breakfast, my treat," Karen said, putting  
  
her arm through Jack's.  
  
~~~  
  
At twelve o'clock, Will was putting some papers on his desk in order before he left for lunch. There was a knock on the door and he said absently, "Come in."  
  
"Hungry at all Will?" Grace asked, coming into the office.  
  
"Oh, hey Gracie," Will said, looking up. "I was just going to leave."  
  
"I went to that deli on 103rd and got you a pastrami," Grace said. "And I think we should talk about this morning."  
  
Will sighed and sat down in his chair as Grace took out their sandwiches.  
  
"Ok Will," Grace said, sitting down in the chair in front of the desk.  
  
"I want to know why you're so upset about Jack and Karen being together."  
  
"I don't know..." Will said, running his hand over his face. "Well, I guess it's because it's Karen, a woman, that he's decided to be with. You see Gracie, when I first met Jack, he was always encouraging me about 'coming out,' and now that he's with Karen..."  
  
"You think he's betrayed his ideals?" Grace suggested.  
  
"Very Shakespearean, but yeah, I guess that's it," Will said.  
  
"But you saw that he was very sincere when he said he loved Karen," Grace said.  
  
"Yeah, but does this mean he's bisexual, or what?" Will said. "I guess  
  
another reason I'm so upset is because I am very confused right now."  
  
"I am too Will," Grace said. "But right now we should be supporting them and whatever they decide to do together."  
  
"I have a feeling that's leading into something," Will said.  
  
Grace took a deep breath and then said, "Jack is moving into Karen's penthouse."  
  
Will didn't say anything, but he stood up and went over to the window.  
  
"Well, I guess that he's really serious about this then," he said. "And I guess I should just get used to it."  
  
"That's good," Grace said as Will walked back to his chair and sat down. "But you need to talk with Jack and let him know you're okay with it."  
  
"Later, right now I'm starving," Will said.  
  
~~~  
  
"Kath," Karen said. "How long are you going to stay here, drooling over the books?"  
  
The three of them were in an old bookstore, looking through the shelves.  
  
"You know, I think I prefer newer books to these kind," Jack said, taking down.  
  
Karen's cellphone rang just then, and she hurriedly answered it, going further back into the store.  
  
"Kat, think I can ask you a favor?" Jack said, waiting until Karen was out of hearing range.  
  
"What's that?" Katherine asked absentmindedly.  
  
"I was thinking of asking Karen to marry me on Christmas," Jack said.  
  
"You're going to-" Katherine started to say.  
  
"That was the company," Karen said, coming back. "I forgot I had a meeting to go today. So I need to go."  
  
"Oh, okay," Jack said.  
  
"I'll call you after I'm done," Karen said, kissing Jack on the cheek.  
  
"Bye Kath."  
  
"Bye Kare," Katherine called. When she was gone, Katherine turned to Jack and hissed, "You're going to ask her to marry you? What happened to not rushing things?"  
  
"We've known each other for a long time Kat," Jack said. "And I'm not going to ask her now, I'll be asking at Christmas."  
  
"Come on, let's go outside," Katherine said. She grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him through the store. "Okay then, so you want to propose, I understand that. But what's the favor you want me to do?"  
  
"Come with me to buy a ring," Jack said quickly.  
  
"And are you expecting me to pay for it?" Katherine asked.  
  
"No, I'm going to use the money that I would have used for this month's  
  
rent on my apartment," Jack answered, smiling broadly.  
  
"All right then," Katherine said sighing. "Let's go." 


	8. Chapter Eight: Approval

A/N: Thanks to Felicia, glad that you enjoyed the last chapter.  
  
A/N #2: This chapter is a bit boring, no Jack/Karen stuff in it. But I promise there will be in the next chapter.  
  
A/N #3: I also would like your opinion of the ring I describe in this chapter. Thank you!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters. Nor do I own the  
  
store Tiffany's.  
  
Chapter Eight Approval  
  
Jack and Katherine grabbed a taxi and went to a Tiffany's to get the engagement ring a few minutes after they left the bookstore.  
  
"I sure hope you can afford this place Jackie," Katherine said when they walked inside.  
  
"I've got some money besides the rent Kat," Jack said, looking at the display cases. "I was thinking of getting a colored stone instead of just a diamond."  
  
"You think Karen would like that?" Katherine asked doubtfully.  
  
Jack didn't answer, but went up to a salesperson and asked, "Do you have any colored gem engagement rings?"  
  
"This way sir," the man said, walking deeper into the store.  
  
Katherine followed Jack and the salesperson, but at a slower pace, looking at all the jewelry.  
  
"We have a limited selection of gemstone engagement rings," the salesperson said, stopping in front of a display case. "They aren't that popular."  
  
Jack nodded absentmindedly, already looking at the rings. After a couple of minutes, he stopped and said, "Hey Kat, come here, I found it."  
  
Katherine hurried over and looked down at the ring Jack pointed to. "Well it is pretty, I'll give you that," she said.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Jack said, looking at her in surprise. "It's perfect."  
  
The ring that had caught his eye was a medium sized sapphire cut in a circular shape. Next to the dark blue stone, on each side of it, were small diamonds. The band of the ring itself was silver.  
  
"Hey miss," Jack said to the person standing behind the display case. "I want to get this ring."  
  
The woman walked over to them and said, "This ring is two thousand five  
  
hundred and seventy two dollars sir. Are you sure you want to buy it?"  
  
"Yes," Jack said firmly.  
  
~~~  
  
"So where are you going to hide that while you're moving?" Katherine asked as they rode in a cab to the psychiatrists office where she had an appointment.  
  
"I was going to ask if you could keep it at your apartment until Christmas Eve," Jack said.  
  
"That won't be a problem," Katherine said, taking the small velvet covered box and putting it into her purse. Just then the cab stopped and Katherine turned to Jack. "You should go and talk with Will when you get back to your place."  
  
"But I wanted to start packing," Jack whined.  
  
"When I come back from getting Amber, I'll bring some boxes and help you pack," Katherine said.  
  
Jack sighed heavily and said, "All right, I guess I should talk to him."  
  
"Good boy Jack," Katherine said. "I'll see you later." She then got out of the cab and walked into the building where her psychiatrist was.  
  
"Where to now buddy?" the cab driver asked.  
  
"One fifty five Riverside," Jack said.  
  
Twenty minutes later, the cab stopped in front of the apartment building and Jack paid the driver and then went up to Will and Grace's apartment.  
  
Will was watching tv when there was a knock on the door to the apartment. "Come in," he called.  
  
"Hi Will," Jack said hesitantly, coming inside.  
  
"Hey," Will said, turning off the tv and walking over to Jack. "I guess we need to talk huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Jack said.  
  
"Okay, let me go first," Will said. "First off I want you to know that I was so upset this morning for two reasons. One was the fact that ever since I met you, you've been pretty set in your ways as a gay man."  
  
"You've got that right," Jack said. "I was so sure that I preferred only men, that I almost missed out on what was right in front of me." There was  
  
silence for a moment. "And by that I mean Karen."  
  
"I know Jack," Will said exasperatingly. "Anyway, I just get the feeling that you're turning your back on everything you stood for in the past."  
  
Jack sighed and said, "I should let you know that I've decided that I'm  
  
pretty much bisexual now. I mean, god knows I'll always think Ben Affleck is a hottie, but compared to Karen, he falls short of the line."  
  
"What ever you think's attractive Jack," Will said. "And the second reason I was upset was because it was Karen you got together with. But like I just said, 'to each his own.' And so, after a lot of thinking and some scolding from Grace, I've resolved to give you and Karen my blessing."  
  
"Really?" Jack asked, completely surprised.  
  
"As long as you're happy Jack," Will said, smiling.  
  
"Thank you, thank you!" Jack said, giving Will a hug. "Wait, did Grace  
  
tell you I'm moving-"  
  
"Into Karen's penthouse, yeah she did," Will said. "And I'm just fine with that." He walked over to the kitchen and got a soda. "By the way Jack. Did you talk to anyone about this when you first decided you had feelings for Karen? Or did you just keep everything to yourself?"  
  
"Kat gave me some advise," Jack said. "But mostly I decided things on my own."  
  
"So Kat knows?" Will asked.  
  
"Yep," Jack said. "Oh, I better go and get ready to pack up my stuff."  
  
"Need any help?" Will asked.  
  
"It's okay, Kat said she's going to help me out," Jack said.  
  
"Oh, okay then," Will said. "Well, have fun Jack."  
  
"Thanks again for giving us the okay Will," Jack said before he left the apartment. 


	9. Chapter Nine: The Argument

A/N: Thanks to Felicia for your review of the last chapter.  
  
A/N #2: The first part of this chapter is pure Jack/Karen love, which I know my readers won't mind!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Nine The Argument  
  
  
  
It was six o'clock when Katherine and Jack stopped packing his things into some boxes. After grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, Katherine went back to her own apartment.  
  
Jack stood just outside his kitchen, wondering if he should go over to Will and Grace's to get something to or if he should go out. The phone rang, and he ran over to it, hoping that it was Karen. "Hello," he said.  
  
  
"Hi poodle," Karen said at the other end. "Miss me at all?"  
  
  
"Every second Kare," Jack said, smiling.  
  
  
"Feel like coming over tonight?" Karen asked.  
  
  
"I didn't think you were going to ask," Jack said. "I'll be over there faster than you can say 'Sarah Michelle Gellar.'" He hung up the phone and hurriedly put some clothes in a backpack and then left his apartment.  
  
~~~  
  
Karen walked out of her room when she heard Rosario open the front door and Jack saying, "Hi Ro-ro!"  
  
Smiling and walking down the stairs, Karen said, "It took you long enough to get here Jackie."  
  
"Traffic was horrible," Jack said, putting his arms around Karen and kissing her forehead. "Let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."  
  
"What about we just eat here?" Karen asked.  
  
"Perfect," Jack said. He put her hand on her back and they walked to the dinning room.  
  
After they had eaten, Jack forced Karen to watch TV with her in the media room.  
  
"Poodle, why do you have to watch these crazy shows?" Karen asked when Jack started to watch the Discovery Channel.  
  
"They've got interesting shows about a bunch of stuff," Jack said.  
  
Karen sighed and sat down next to Jack on the couch, leaning against him. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the show that was on, and she lost track of the time. While the show's credits were rolling up, she felt Jack start to nuzzle her neck. "Trying to tell me something?" she asked, smiling.  
  
  
"Yep, I love you," Jack said in between placing soft kisses on her neck. "And it's getting late."  
  
"Oh?" Karen asked teasingly. "Well seems like you should go to bed-"  
  
  
Jack quickly silenced her by pressing his lips against hers and kissing her deeply. "I'll go only if you come with me," he said when he pulled back from her.  
  
"I've never refused an invitation like that," Karen said. She got up from the couch and, without looking back; she left the media room and walked up to her bedroom. She had just barely taken two steps towards her bed, when she felt someone lift her up. "Jack!" she cried, amazed that he had been so close behind her.  
  
"You thought I was going to take my time getting up here?" Jack asked. He then rolled his eyes and said, "Jack McFarland is never slow Karen."  
  
"Even when it comes to having sex with a woman?" Karen asked as he walked over to her bed.  
  
"He's even faster then," Jack said, laying her down on the bed. "Especially if that woman is Karen Walker."  
  
Karen laughed and then pulled Jack down on top of her and kissed him passionately. She then whispered into his ear huskily, "Make love to me Jack. Make me yours."  
  
Jack looked down into her hazel eyes, the love he was feeling for her rising up in him like a tidal wave. Without another second of hesitation, he quickly undressed her, kissing her all over her body as he did so. "Mine," he whispered as Karen undressed him. "You're all mine Kare."  
  
"Yesss," Karen hissed softly, looking up at him. "Love me Jack.now."  
  
"Forever Kare," Jack whispered tenderly into her ear before he began to make love to her.  
  
The rest of the night was spent with Jack and Karen making love to one another many times. And also they professed their undying love for each other each time they made love.  
  
~~~  
  
The next morning at Grace's office, Katherine was drawing something when Karen walked into the room. "Hi Kare," Katherine said to her.  
  
"Hey Kath," Karen said, sitting down at her desk and putting her purse away. "It's a beautiful morning isn't it?"  
  
"Well, I think that eleven o'clock counts as late morning," Katherine said, smiling. "And as for it being beautiful. Well I suppose one could see a cloudy, snowing day as beautiful."  
  
"Okay Kat, I'm back from the fabric store," Grace said, hurrying into the office. "Hey Karen. I got some of that blue fabric with silver lining that Billows asked for."  
  
"How much of-" Katherine started to say when the office door suddenly opened.  
  
"Katherine," Will said, walking into the room. "Could I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
"Oh, well sure Will," Katherine said, a little taken aback.  
  
Will walked over to her and grabbed her arm, dragging her back outside the office.  
  
"Will, you're hurting me, what's the matter with you?" Katherine said.  
  
"Where the hell do you get the idea that you can give advice to my friends?" Will said angrily.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Katherine cried, confused.  
  
Inside the office, Grace and Karen were standing near the door, listening as Will began to complain about Katherine and the fact that she had not allowed Jack to talk with him about his feelings toward Karen.  
  
"I did no such thing Will!" Katherine said. "It's not like I had intended to deliberately set out to talk with Jack about that."  
  
"Oh please," Will said, sneering. "Ever since you got here you've had everyone wrapped around your finger. Well let me tell you right now Katherine, you're nothing but a spoiled bitch and-"  
  
Katherine had slapped Will hard on the cheek. She didn't say anything, but turned and ran back into the office. 


	10. Chapter Ten: Apologizing

Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Ten  
Apologizing  
  
Katherine went straight to her chair, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. After a few minutes, her hands started to tremble and she said, "What the hell have I done?"  
  
"Don't worry Kath," Karen said, hurrying over to her sister. "Will deserved it."  
  
"Grace. I-I know that he's your best friend," Katherine said, looking over at her. "But he was accusing me of-"  
  
"I know Kat," Grace said quietly. "I don't know what's the matter with him."  
  
"He must be jealous," Katherine said.  
  
"Of what?" Karen asked.  
  
"Because you talked to Jack about Karen," Grace said to Katherine.  
  
Katherine nodded and then sighed. "But I didn't go to Jack with the purpose of talking to him about it. And neither did he seek me out for advise," she said.  
  
"Then how did you manage to talk with him?" Karen asked.  
  
"The night of the party," Katherine answered. "I hadn't seen him for a few days, so I went to his apartment to see how he was."  
  
"Do you want me to talk with Will?" Grace asked.  
  
"No," Katherine said, shaking her head. "I'll talk to him myself, but not yet. I'd like him to cool down for a day or two."  
  
"Don't worry Kath," Karen said, patting her sister's back. "Everything will turn out all right."  
  
Katherine looked over at Grace, and they shared a smiled with each other. "Déjà vu, huh?" Katherine said.  
  
~~~  
  
Four o'clock later that day, Karen walked into Jack's apartment. "Hello, anyone home?" she asked, looking around.  
  
"Hi Kare!" Jack said, prancing out from his bedroom.  
  
"You've got a lot packed," Karen said, looking around the room.  
  
"Yep. Kat helped me a bunch yesterday," Jack said smiling. He walked over to Karen and kissed her quickly on the lips.  
  
"Oh poodle," Karen said. "You should have asked Will to help."  
  
"How come?" Jack asked, looking down at her in confusion.  
  
Karen sighed and then took Jack's hand leading him over to the couch. They sat down and she then told him about the argument that Katherine and Will had had earlier that morning.  
  
"Oh my god," Jack said, shocked. "Will actually called Kat a bitch?"  
  
"Yeah, he did," Karen said. "And he-"  
  
There was a knock on the door and Jack stood up and walked over to it. He opened the door to find Will standing outside.  
  
"Hey Jack," Will said. "I came over to see if you needed any help with. Oh, hi Karen."  
  
"Wilma," Karen said, standing up from the couch.  
  
"Look, I know you heard that argument, but I had my reasons for what I said," Will said.  
  
"What reason did you have to call her a bitch?" Karen asked indignantly.  
  
"Like I said, ever since she came here six months ago, everything's been about her," Will said.  
  
"You're out of your mind!" Jack cried. "I've never seen Kat being anything but caring and sympathetic!"  
  
Will just threw his hands up into the air and walked out of the apartment, going over to his own.  
  
"Stay here Kare," Jack said. "I'll talk to him."  
  
"But Jack, Kath wants to talk with him herself!" Karen cried as Jack ran out of the apartment.  
  
Jack went into Will's apartment and said, "This isn't about Kat, is it?"  
  
Will, who was in the kitchen with his back turned, just shook his head and said, "It's about Katherine, trust me."  
  
"No Will," Jack said angrily. "This is still about the fact that I'm with Karen."  
  
Will was quiet for a long time, signifying that that was the problem he was having.  
  
"Oh god Will," Jack said, rubbing his forehead. "I thought we talked about this already and we settled it."  
  
"I know Jack," Will said, sighing. "I guess I'm just afraid that you'll forget all about me and spend all your time with Karen."  
  
"That's not going to happen Will," Jack said. "I love to tease you too much to stop. And besides, you'll always be my chunky best friend."  
  
Will tried not to laugh, but he then smiled and started to chuckle. "Alright Jack," he said. "I'll get used to it, but it might take a while."  
  
"Good," Jack said, grinning. "Do we still have your blessing though?"  
  
"Sure," Will said. "You know I just want you to be happy Jack. And if Karen is who makes you happy. then be my guest."  
  
"Thanks a bunch Will," Jack said, going over to him and embracing him warmly. "Oh, you do need to do one more thing before you are condemned to the same fate as Ebenezer Scrooge," he said in a dramatic voice when the two men stepped apart.  
  
"And what's that Ghost of a Bisexual New York City Christmas?" Will asked.  
  
"Go apologize to Kat," Jack said. "You know she loves you like a brother."  
  
Will sighed and said, "Yeah, I'll go over to her apartment as soon as she gets home."  
  
Karen walked into the apartment and said, "Kath's back. Now's your chance."  
  
"Were you listening to us?" Will asked.  
  
"Every word Wilma," Karen said smiling. "Now get over there Scrooge!"  
  
Will smiled and left the apartment, shaking his head as he went over to Katherine's.  
  
"So poodle," Karen said, looking up at Jack. "What do you want to do now?"  
  
"Why don't you make a martini for yourself while I pack for a little while more," Jack said.  
  
"Wonderful," Karen said, walking over to the kitchen. "Who's place tonight?"  
  
"Mine, for one last time," Jack said. "I only need to pack a couple more things and then I'll be ready to move."  
  
Karen, who was already pouring vodka into the shaker, smiled and said, "Well go on and finish Jackie."  
  
"Love you Kare," Jack said.  
  
"Love you Jackie," Karen said, blowing a kiss to him just before he left the apartment.  
  
~~~  
  
Katherine was washing the dishes next to the sink when there was a knock on the door. "Amber love, can you get that?" she said to her daughter, who was doing homework at the kitchen table.  
  
"Sure mummy," Amber said. She got off of her chair and went over to the door. "Who is it?"  
  
"It's your Uncle Will Amber," Will said from behind the door.  
  
Amber opened the door and stepped back to let Will inside. "Hi Uncle Will!" she said.  
  
"Hi Amb," Will said, smiling down at her. "I need to talk with your mom for a few minutes, think you can give us a couple of minutes alone?"  
  
"Mummy?" Amber asked.  
  
"Go on and play in your room for a bit love," Katherine said, not turning from the sink.  
  
When Amber had left, Will walked over to Katherine and leaned against the counter. "I came over to apologize for what I said today," Will said softly.  
  
Katherine didn't say anything, but nodded to let him know she was listening.  
  
"I wasn't really angry at you," Will continued. "I just am not used to the idea of Jack being in love with Karen."  
  
"But you were a bit angry with me?" Katherine asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'm always used to Jack coming to me with his problems," Will said. "But I guess I've got to learn not to be the only person who gives advice.  
  
Katherine smiled and said, "Well, have you talked with Jack about this?"  
  
"Just now," Will answered. "And we're all okay with everything now."  
  
"Then I guess we are as well," Katherine said, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Apology accepted." She then wrapped her arms around Will and hugged him companiably.  
  
"Oh thank God!" a voice from the doorway cried.  
  
Katherine and Will let go of each other and turned to find Grace looking at them.  
  
"I was afraid this would last forever!" Grace said. She then ran up to the two and hugged them at the same time.  
  
"Aww, that's sweet," Jack said as he and Karen walked into the apartment, arm-in-arm, seeing the three in a group hug.  
  
"Get over here you two!" Katherine said.  
  
Jack looked over at Karen and then let go of her arm, walking to the three and joining the group hug.  
  
"You're the weirdest people I've ever known," Karen said, walking up to them. "But I love you all anyway." And with that she joined the group hug for a brief moment.  
  
~~~  
  
"Careful that you don't slip and fall Amber!" Katherine cried.  
  
"You know, there's a coffee shop around the corner we can go to," Karen said.  
  
"Come on Kare," Jack said, taking her hand. "Learn to have a little fun. I'm sure you must have played in the snow when you were a kid."  
  
Karen rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, I did, but I'm sure that I don't need to join in."  
  
It was an hour after Will had apologized to Katherine; they had all gone down to Central Park. And now Will and Grace were helping Amber build a snowman.  
  
Katherine suddenly broke off from where she had been standing with Jack and Karen and knelt down, picking up some snow. She stood up and drew her arm back then threw the snowball as fast as she could at Will.  
  
"Hey!" Will cried out as the snowball hit his back. "Oh man, you're going to get it Kat!"  
  
"Let's see you try Yorker!" Kat said, running off the path, Will chasing her around, snow in his mittened hand.  
  
Jack and Karen leaned against the brick wall lining the edge of the path and laughed as eventually, there was a snowball fight between Will and Katherine. With Amber helping Will and Grace helping Katherine.  
  
Karen leaned her head against Jack's arm and smiled at the madness in front of her. "Why do people always act so crazy during Christmas?" she asked out loud.  
  
"Something in the air does it to them," Jack said. He and Karen looked at each other for a long moment before they broke apart and ran to join their friends in the snowball fight. 


	11. Chapter Eleven: Moving Day

A/N: Okay, this chapter isn't so good, but it does set up some stuff for the next chapters.  
  
A/N #2: I'm not sure of the layout of Karen's penthouse, so I might put in some things that aren't there.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.  
  
Chapter Eleven  
Moving Day  
  
Karen woke up, sun shining right into her eyes. She lifted her head and saw that Jack was standing at the window, looking out. "Anything wrong poodle?" she asked.  
  
Jack turned around and smiled at Karen. "Morning," he said, walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge.  
  
"Ready to move in to the penthouse Jackie?" Karen asked, reaching up and placing her hand on his cheek.  
  
"Yep," Jack said smiling. He took Karen's hand and kissed the palm.  
  
"This time tonight," Karen said. "We'll be in our bed."  
  
"Our bed," Jack said smiling. "I never thought that would sound so great." He bent down and gave Karen a deep kiss. When he pulled back, he said, "I'm going to take a shower and then call the movers."  
  
"I guess I should get up and get ready to go to work," Karen said, sighing.  
  
Jack smiled and then walked into the bathroom.  
  
~~~  
  
Katherine was sitting down to a cup of tea when the door to her apartment opened. "Morning Kare, Jackie-boy," she said as the two walked inside.  
  
"Any coffee?" Karen asked.  
  
"No, but I'm sure you can get some for yourselves," Katherine said, turning her attention to the newspaper in front of her.  
  
Jack quickly made coffee in Katherine's coffee maker. When it was done, he poured a mug for Karen and himself. They both then sat down at the table across from Katherine.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to move into the penthouse Jack," Katherine asked, looking up.  
  
"The movers aren't coming until one o'clock," Jack said, shrugging.  
  
"Hmm, that's about the same time my package is supposed to get here," Katherine commented.  
  
"Package?" Karen asked.  
  
Katherine smiled and said, "You'll see what it is. I'd like both of you to come for dinner tonight."  
  
"Ooo, can we come Kare, can we?" Jack said, clapping his hands.  
  
"Sure poodle," Karen said, sipping her coffee. "I want to see what this package is going to be."  
  
"Sounds like a date then," Katherine said. There was a knock at the door, and she stood up to answer it. "Oh, hullo Will," she said when she opened the door. "Shouldn't you be at work?"  
  
"Oh my god, he's turning into me!" Karen said. She and Jack then started to giggle.  
  
"No, Gracie told me to come and let you know there's no work today," Will said, looking over at Karen and Jack and rolling his eyes. "She's a little sick and she knows that Jack's moving into the penthouse."  
  
"Oh Will," Jack said, getting up from the table and running over to him. "Is it okay if Kat helps me unpack?"  
  
"What's there to for me to help unpack?" Katherine asked, confused.  
  
"Oh Kath, we just want you to help place all of the furniture Jackie's got," Karen said. "Make sure they're not going to look too much out of place."  
  
"You have fun over there Kat," Will said.  
  
"Thanks Will," Katherine said.  
  
~~~  
  
Later that evening at five o'clock, Katherine, Amber, Jack and Karen entered Katherine and Amber's apartment for dinner.  
  
"Mummy, the gift's here!" Amber said, running over to a medium crate that was under the large window next to the kitchen.  
  
"I know love, I came back from your Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack's home to make sure it got here," Katherine said, going over to the kitchen and getting a hammer out. She walked over to the crate, while Jack and Karen stood next to the table watching her. Katherine quickly took out the nails and the top of the crate. Then she quickly took off the sides of the crate, revealing what was inside.  
  
"Oh wow, that's beautiful," Jack said. He walked over to the baby grand piano that was now set underneath the window. "Are you going to have Amber learn how to play?"  
  
"Amber already knows a bit," Katherine said as she took the last of the crate out of the apartment and set it outside the door. "I got this so we'll both be able to practice so we don't forget how to play."  
  
"You know how to play too?" Jack asked, surprised.  
  
"Well sure," Katherine said, setting a bench with a black leather cushion in front of the piano. "I've taken lessons since I was six."  
  
"Why don't you play something for us?" Karen asked.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose I could," Katherine said, sitting on the bench. She flexed her fingers for a few seconds and then placed them on the keys. "What shall I play Amber?"  
  
"Grandmum's favorite song Mummy!" Amber cried out.  
  
Katherine smiled and then started playing the Blue Danube waltz. After a few minutes, she stopped and put the cover on the keys.  
  
"Kath?" Karen asked, walking over to her. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Just fine," Katherine said, sighing and getting up. "Brings back a lot of memories though."  
  
"That was really great Kat," Jack said. "I play the piano too."  
  
Katherine smiled and then walked over to the kitchen, starting to get dinner together.  
  
After dinner had been eaten, Amber pulled Jack over to the piano and said, "Please play something for us Uncle Jack!"  
  
Jack ruffled Amber's black hair and then sat at the piano. "Any requests from you ladies?" he asked, turning to Katherine and Karen who were sitting in armchairs.  
  
"Something Christmas-y poodle," Karen said, sipping her glass of wine.  
  
After taking off the cover, Jack began to play Christmas carols for the rest of the night until ten, when he and Karen went back to the penthouse, their home.  
  
~~~  
  
Karen slipped under the covers of the bed after changing into her pajamas. She turned over on her side, looking over at what was now Jack's closet. "Jackie," she said.  
  
"What?" Jack asked.  
  
"I'll be having the servants decorate the place tomorrow," Karen said. "And someone will get the tree; do you want us to decorate it ourselves?"  
  
Jack came out and walked over to the bed. "Do you really need to ask that Kare?" he said. He stood next to the bed, looking down at Karen for a while.  
  
"Something wrong poodle?" Karen asked as he continued to stare at her.  
  
"This feels right doesn't it?" Jack said.  
  
Karen smiled and then got up on her knees, going over to Jack. "That's because it is right Jackie," she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly. "Come to bed Jack," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.  
  
Jack hugged Karen tightly and then pushed her down onto the bed. He kissed her face and neck for a while, and then started to unbutton her pajama top.  
  
"Jack?" Karen said as she started to undress him. She lifted herself up slightly and whispered into his ear. "Welcome home."  
  
Later that night, Jack was trying to fall asleep. He looked around the room that was now partially his and then at the woman cradled in his arms. It was still surprise at how much had changed in the past two weeks. He brushed a piece of hair that had fallen on Karen's cheek and held her to him more tightly.  
  
"One more change Kare," Jack whispered very softly so he wouldn't wake her up. "I will make you my wife before Christmas next year." With that, he leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly. 


	12. Chapter Twelve: Beautiful Night

A/N: Thank you to ItsNotRightButItsOkay for your very kind review. I very much appreciate your support!  
  
A/N #2: As this chapter is pretty long, I would really love a long review from you readers, so I know if you liked it or not.  
  
A/N #3: Now I guess I should address the lovely (being sarcstic there) review from heliotrope or whatever that reviewer's name is. I was very much annoyed by the review for a couple of reasons. 1. I think that I have mentioned MANY TIMES that Jack and Karen were going to get together in this story and 2. I  
  
even said in my summary for this story that they were going to get together. So helio... whatever your name is, I really don't know what your problem is, I warned you about Jack and Karen and yet, you still read this story. So next time this happens, I will go to whatever stories you have written and flame you mercilessly, so you'll know how it feels to have a piece of work you've worked hard on, be insulted.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack and Karen or its characters. A few things are  
  
mentioned here that are also not mine. The chapter title comes from a song  
  
with the same name by Paul McCartney.  
  
Chapter Twelve Beautiful Night  
  
Katherine was in the kitchen of her apartment at six the morning of Christmas Eve. She was busily cooking dinner for later that night.  
  
At nine, Amber came out of her room, Essex following. "Good morning Mummy," she said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Morning," Katherine answered. "I made oatmeal for you."  
  
"Thank you," Amber said. She walked over to the table and sat down.  
  
"Merry Christmas Eve!" Will called, walking through the front door of the apartment.  
  
"Hi Uncle Will!" Amber said, she got up from the table and went over to  
  
him.  
  
"Ready to open presents tonight?" Will asked, lifting the little girl up.  
  
"I thought we were going to open the gifts tomorrow," Katherine said, looking over at them.  
  
"Yeah, well Grace thinks we should go and visit my mom tomorrow," Will said, putting Amber down. "Try and give her some holiday cheer."  
  
Katherine nodded and then turned back to the stove.  
  
"I'm going to put the presents under the tree," Will then said, picking  
  
up one of two paper bags he had brought with him off the floor. "So no peaking Amb."  
  
"I won't Uncle Will," Amber said, giggling.  
  
Will quickly emptied the paper bag, placing the presents under the five  
  
foot Douglas fir tree placed near the fireplace. When he was done, he picked up the second bag and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Here, give this a try," Katherine said, holding a spoon with some pale  
  
liquid in it out to him.  
  
Taking the spoon and sipping the soup carefully, Will nodded. "What is  
  
this?" he asked.  
  
"Secret recipe for broth from York," Katherine answered. "Rich in flavor, but not too filling. What's in the other bag?"  
  
Will was quiet for a moment and then said, "Yes Karen, I think that a secret recipe for soup is very interesting too."  
  
Katherine laughed softly and then resumed stirring the broth.  
  
"Anyway, Karen let me know that you still had some things left to buy for dinner tonight," Will said. "And I went to the store and bought them for you."  
  
"Oh Will, you are a lifesaver!" Katherine said, hugging him tightly.  
  
"And if you want, I could help you cook," Will suggested.  
  
Katherine kissed his cheek and said, "Of course you can help!"  
  
Will laughed and then put the paper bag on top of the counter. He rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and was put to work immediately.  
  
~~~  
  
Jack washed his face in the immaculate sink of his and Karen's bedroom.  
  
He wiped his face dry with a towel and stared at his reflection. "Damn," he muttered. "I still look nervous." He sighed and then grabbed a bottle of eye drops.  
  
"Poodle, I need your opinion on this outfit," Karen said, walking into the bathroom.  
  
"Come here," Jack said, holding a hand out to her. When she reached him and took his hand, he made her turn around slowly. "It's perfect Kare."  
  
Karen smiled and then looked up into his eyes. "Are you feeling any better after that nap?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Loads Kare," Jack said, kissing her forehead. "I'm all set to go. What about you?"  
  
"Ready," Karen answered smiling. "I got Driver to put the presents for  
  
Will and Grace in the limo."  
  
"Okay, then let's go," Jack said. He grabbed Karen's hand and they walked out of their room and down to the limo.  
  
Forty five minutes later, Katherine let Jack and Karen into her apartment. "Happy Christmas Eve you guys," she said, hugging them both.  
  
"Hullo Auntie Karen, Uncle Jack," Amber said, peering out at them from behind Katherine.  
  
"Come here honey," Karen said. "Let me see what you're wearing."  
  
Amber stepped away from her mother, revealing the blue and gold plaid skirt and black sweater she was wearing.  
  
"Oh, you look pretty Amber," Karen said, giving the little girl a hug.  
  
"Thank you Auntie Karen," Amber said, blushing slightly.  
  
"She think's it's too fancy," Katherine said.  
  
"Hey everyone," Grace said, walking into the apartment, Will behind her.  
  
"Sorry we're late," Will said. "Grace was having trouble with her hair."  
  
"Don't worry," Katherine said as she hung up everyone's coats. "I just  
  
finished with the cooking when Jack and Karen got here."  
  
"So are we eating first or opening presents?" Jack asked. He had picked up Amber when Will and Grace had arrived and was holding her.  
  
"Let's open presents first Mummy, please!" Amber cried.  
  
"We need to eat first you guys," Katherine said, walking over to the kitchen.  
  
"And you need to put the presents under the tree poodle," Karen said, pointing to the box next to the door.  
  
"Alright," Jack said, sighing. He put Amber down and then got the box,  
  
taking it over to the tree. He began putting the presents under the tree with Amber's help.  
  
A few moments later, everyone sat down at the dinning table and dinner began.  
  
An hour after dinner, Will lit a fire in the fireplace, and everyone else gathered in front of the tree to start opening presents.  
  
"So how will we do this?" Grace asked, sitting on the shorter couch. "Are we going to go in order of age or what?"  
  
"I think we should do it by name," Jack said.  
  
"Good idea," Katherine said from where she was sitting. "So it's Amber's turn first."  
  
"Here Amb, open this one," Will said, picking up a gift from under the tree and handing it to the girl. He then went over to the couch where Grace was and sat down next to her.  
  
Amber quickly tore the paper off the gift, revealing a book. "What is this?" she asked, looking at the old-fashioned hardcover book in her hands.  
  
"It's a copy of Charlotte's Web," Grace said. "We weren't sure if she would be able to read it though Kat."  
  
"Mummy can read it to me," Amber said. She got up off the floor and went over to Will and Grace, hugging them and kissing their cheeks. "Thank you."  
  
"Here Grace," Katherine said, walking to the couch from the tree, a gift in her hand. "Open this from me and Amber."  
  
It took the six of them an hour to open all the presents that had been under the tree. After the wrapping paper had been thrown away, Katherine wandered over to the piano and started to play Christmas songs.  
  
Noticing that Karen would be distracted for a while, Jack went to Will and Grace and asked, "Can you guys come out on the balcony with me for a sec?"  
  
"Sure Jack," Will said. He glanced over at Grace, seeing his own confused expression mirrored her face.  
  
Once they were outside, Jack said to them, "I'm planning on doing something later on tonight and I wanted to get your approval."  
  
"What's that Jack?" Grace asked, rubbing her arms.  
  
Looking at Will, Jack said, "I want to ask Karen to marry me."  
  
"Oh Jack, on Christmas Eve?" Grace gushed. "That so romantic!"  
  
"So you're okay with it Grace?" Jack asked, looking over at her.  
  
"Of course!" she answered, smiling. "I think it's wonderful."  
  
"Don't you think it's kind of soon to ask her to marry you?" Will asked.  
  
"We've known each other for six years now Will," Jack said. "We know one another much better than we know ourselves."  
  
Will sighed and said, "All right Jack, I give you my blessing for this as well."  
  
"Are you sure?" Grace said, looking at him. "Because I would hate for there to be another fight between you and Kat."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Will said. "Just as long as you're happy Jack."  
  
Karen opened the balcony door and said, "What's going on you guys, why are you out here in the cold?"  
  
"I needed some fresh air," Jack said, walking over to her and putting and arm around her.  
  
"You're freezing poodle!" Karen said. "Come inside before you get sick! Oh and you guys should come back inside too."  
  
"In a sec," Grace said. She closed the door behind Karen and Jack and looked at Will.  
  
"You think she'll say yes?" he asked.  
  
"Look at them," Grace said simply, nodding her head towards the inside of the apartment.  
  
Will walked over from the railing and peered inside.  
  
Jack and Karen where playing a game of Life with Amber on the coffee table in front of the fire. As Will and Grace watched, Karen clapped her hands and turned to Jack, kissing him on the cheek. They could see, even from where they were standing, the way Jack looked at Karen lovingly as she turned back to the game.  
  
"I've never really seen him look at anyone like that before," Will said.  
  
"Does it answer your question?" Grace asked.  
  
"Yeah," he answered slowly. "Let's go inside Gracie, I can't feel my lips."  
  
~~~  
  
At eleven thirty, Grace and Will gathered their gifts together and said  
  
their good-byes to the others.  
  
"Thank you so much for those boots," Grace said as she hugged Katherine. "I'm going to wear them tomorrow."  
  
"I'm glad that you like them," Katherine said. "And thank you both for  
  
your gifts. I really love the copy of The Divine Comedy."  
  
"Good," Will said as he gave her a quick hug. "I looked at the first part of it, and it seems like something you would like."  
  
Will and Grace then said good-bye to Karen and Jack, thanking them for their gifts. A few minutes later, they left, walking over to their apartment.  
  
"I'm exhausted," Karen said, yawning. "Ready to go home Jackie?"  
  
"Yep, why don't you go on and I'll get the presents together and then follow you," Jack said.  
  
"Alright," Karen said, pulling on her fur coat. "Kath, I want you and Amber at the penthouse at three." She hugged her sister quickly. "And we'll be opening presents before we eat." She then hugged Amber and left the apartment.  
  
When Karen had gone into the elevator, Katherine said to Amber, "Go on and put your bedclothes on love."  
  
"You must be psychic," Jack said, placing his and Karen's gifts into the box they had brought with them. "You always know when a want to talk."  
  
"So what did they say when you told them?" Katherine asked, kneeling down and helping Jack.  
  
"Grace said okay first thing," Jack answered. "But Will took a little longer to give his okay."  
  
"I thought so," Katherine said, standing up when the gifts were in the box. "I was thinking... mayhap we should keep the fact that I know about this already a secret."  
  
Jack nodded. "Well I better go," he said, gripping the box tightly.  
  
"Don't worry Jackie-boy," Katherine said, putting a hand on his arm. "Just remember that she loves you."  
  
"Thanks for everything Kat," Jack said.  
  
"You're welcome Jack. Now go on before Kare wonders what happened to you!" Katherine said, laughing. When Jack had left the apartment, Katherine walked to the tree, unplugging the lights. 'Looks like I'm going to have a  
  
brother-in-law by this time next year,' she thought to herself happily.  
  
~~~  
  
When they got back to the penthouse, Jack talked to a servant quickly while Karen went up to their room. After grabbing a bottle of champagne and two glasses, he went up to the room.  
  
"What's all this Jackie?" Karen asked when he stepped up to her.  
  
"A Christmas present," Jack answered, putting the champagne and glasses  
  
down on a table. He had instructed the help to place white and blue Christmas lights in all the windows of the room. A fire had been lit and was crackling cheerfully in the fireplace. And a small stereo was on a table next to the  
  
fireplace.  
  
"It's so beautiful," Karen said, looking around, amazed.  
  
Jack walked over to the stereo and played the cd that was inside. When  
  
the slow music started to play, he turned to Karen and said, "Dance with me?"  
  
Karen went over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jack then  
  
put his arms around her and they started to sway slowly to the music. After a few minutes, Karen buried her face into Jack's neck.  
  
Eventually, the song ended and as the next one started, Jack pushing Karen back a little so he could look at her. Taking a deep breath to try and calm down, he knelt down on one knee and took one of Karen's hands in his. "You  
  
know that I love you very much Kare," he began. "And you know that I love you very much as my best friend. I... I want to ask you something very important."  
  
Looking a little teary-eyed, Karen nodded for Jack to continue.  
  
"You've always been there for me when I needed a friend Kare," Jack said. "And now that we're together, I want to make sure that I can help you when  
  
you need it... I'm not making any sense am I?"  
  
Karen laughed and said, "No honey, you're making perfect sense."  
  
"Okay, I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I want to be with you forever," Jack said, feeling more nervous. "I want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up and I want you to be the last thing I see at night. Karen, will you marry me?" He took the jewelry box out of his jacket pocket and opened it, showing Karen the ring inside.  
  
"Oh..." Karen whispered, staring down at the sapphire flashing in the light of the fire.  
  
Jack stood up slowly and said, "You can keep the ring even if you don't  
  
want-"  
  
Karen cut him off when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh Jack, of course I want to marry you!" she cried.  
  
Letting go of her, Jack took the ring out of the box and slipped it on Karen's left ring finger.  
  
As soon as the ring was on, Karen hugged him again and kissed him deeply. There were tears falling down her cheeks, but they were from feeling extreme happiness. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen:Wonderful Christmastime

A/N: Well here it is, the last chapter of this story. I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story, you guys are all awesome! And a quick thanks to Lauren for reviwing 2,3 and 4!  
  
A/N #2: Now this is another long chapter, and as it is the last one, I would really appreciate two things when you review. The first is to give me a review of what you thought of the whole story, like what was your fave chapter, that kind of stuff. And the second thing is I want a review of this chapter. I will be writing a sequel to this, but when it shall be posted, I know not.  
  
Hopefully it will be soon.  
  
A/N # 3: The lyrics in this song don't belong to me, they are the lyrics to  
  
the song 'Beautiful Night' written by Paul McCartney. It's a really wonderful song, and since (on McCartney's cd) the basic instruments of the song are the piano and drum, I thought it was something Jack would be able to play on the piano.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters. Nor do I own the  
  
song 'Beautiful Night' (as I mentioned above) or the other songs I mention in the chapter. The chapter title is another song by Paul McCartney.  
  
Chapter Thirteen Wonderful Christmastime  
  
"Kare," Jack whispered.  
  
"Hmm," Karen answered sleepily.  
  
"Are you still awake?" he then asked.  
  
"Barely," Karen mumbled. She sighed and then turned over in the bed to  
  
face Jack. "If you don't sleep you know you won't get any gifts tomorrow."  
  
"I think you mean today Kare," Jack said, kissing her temple.  
  
"Whatever, just go to sleep Jackie," Karen said, turning over and closing her eyes.  
  
Jack raised himself up on his side and looked down at Karen. "I can't sleep though," he said to her.  
  
Karen sighed and then sat up. "Hand me my robe poodle," she said. When she had pulled the blue robe on her body and tied it, she got out of the bed.  
  
"Where are you going Kare?" Jack asked, watching her from the bed.  
  
Not answering him, she grabbed the unopened bottle of champagne and two  
  
glasses. She walked back to the bed and sat on the edge next to Jack.  
  
"Are you going to get me drunk so I'll sleep?" he asked, watching as she opened the bottle.  
  
"That would have been a good idea," Karen said. "But no, I just realized that we didn't drink the champagne." She poured out the liquor in the glasses and handed one to Jack, putting the bottle on the night stand.  
  
"To our impending marriage," Jack said, tapping Karen's glass with his own.  
  
"Lord honey, you make it sound like like a prison sentence," Karen said, after she drank her champagne. After a few moments of silence, she noticed  
  
that Jack was staring at her. "What?" she asked, looking at him and drinking the last of the champagne in her glass.  
  
Without a word, Jack took her glass and his own and set them on the night stand.  
  
"Now try and get some sleep poodle," Karen said, crawling over Jack to her side of the bed. She slipped under the covers without taking off her robe and lay on her side.  
  
Jack snuggled up behind Karen, draping his arm across her stomach. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he was being distracted by Karen. He looked at the back of her head for a few moments before tugging at the knot on her robe.  
  
"What are y-" Karen said, turning over to face him. She was quickly silenced by Jack kissing her deeply. When he pulled back, she said, breathlessly, "Help me get this robe off Jackie."  
  
Working quickly, he got the robe untied and pulled off of Karen in a matter of seconds. After he had flung it on to the floor next to the bed, he quickly turned his attention back to Karen and they made love for the rest of the night.  
  
~~~  
  
Jack woke up the next morning, turning over to wake Karen up. He was surprised when he didn't feel her there. He opened his eyes and saw the other side of the bed was empty, the covers drawn back. He then got out of bed and put on a pair of pajamas. After he had buttoned the shirt, the door to the  
  
bathroom opened and Jack turned around to see Karen come out.  
  
"Merry Christmas Jackie," Karen said, walking over to him and kissing him firmly.  
  
"Merry Christmas Kare," Jack answered. "When do we open our presents?"  
  
Karen smiled and then pointed over to the fireplace.  
  
Jack turned around and saw that the small pine tree that had been set up under one of the windows had a pile of presents around it. "Are those all mine?" he asked Karen incredulously. When she nodded, he smiled and said, "Wait here, I'll go get yours." He turned and ran over to his closet. A few seconds later he came back into the room with a bag of presents in his hand. He hurried over to the tree and put them underneath it among his presents. "Here Kare," he said, taking the last gift out of the bag and walking over to where Karen was sitting on the bed. "You open this one first."  
  
"Thank you poodle," Karen said, kissing his cheek. She tore off the wrapping paper and then opened the velvet box. "Oh..." she said, looking at the necklace that was inside. "It's beautiful Jack." The necklace had a large  
  
sapphire pendant cut in a teardrop shape with diamonds and pearls alternately surrounding it.  
  
"I thought it went really well with your ring," Jack said anxiously, watching her. "So you like it?"  
  
"Oh honey, I love it," Karen said. "Would you put it on for me?"  
  
Jack quickly took the necklace out of the box and put it on Karen's neck while she held her hair up out of his way. When the clasp was fastened, he  
  
put his hands on her shoulders and kissed the nape of her neck, causing Karen to shiver slightly.  
  
Touching the sapphire pendant, Karen gave Jack a very long and passionate kiss. When they pulled apart to breathe, she said, "Your turn poodle." She got up from the bed and picked up one of his presents that were under the tree.  
  
Taking the gift, Jack held it up to his ear and shook it. "Hmm, it sounds like this is clothes," he said.  
  
"Just open it Jackie," Karen said laughingly.  
  
Jack nodded and tore of the paper, he opened the large box and whistled. "Sarah Jessica Parker, Kare!" he exclaimed. He took out a long wool black coat and held it up. "This is fabulous."  
  
"Try it on poodle, see if it fits," Karen urged.  
  
Jack stood up and pulled on the coat over his pajamas. He ran his hand  
  
over one of the sleeves and nodding. "It's perfect Kare," he said, pulling her up to her feet. He then hugged her tightly and gave her a kiss.  
  
"Come on Jackie," Karen said when they had pulled apart. "We've got more stuff to open."  
  
~~~  
  
Later that afternoon at three, Katherine and Amber arrived at the penthouse. They were let inside by Rosario and taken straight to the living room/parlor where Jack and Karen were waiting for them.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" Amber cried, running over to Karen and hugging her tightly. "Guess what I got today Auntie Karen?"  
  
"What'd you get honey?" Karen asked.  
  
"Santa gave me a new bike!" Amber exclaimed.  
  
"That's great Amb," Jack said smiling. "You and I will have to go out riding one day in the park."  
  
"You've a bike too Uncle Jack?" Amber asked.  
  
Jack nodded and then said, "Where's my Christmas hug?"  
  
"Oh!" the little girl cried. She let go of Karen and hurried over to Jack, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Merry Christmas Kare," Katherine said, going over to her sister and giving her a hug. She let of her and was about to go over to Jack when she  
  
stopped. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the ring on Karen's hand.  
  
"Oh," Karen said. "Jack asked me to marry him last night."  
  
"What?" Katherine cried. "That's great!" She hugged her sister again,  
  
but paused for a moment. "You did say yes right?"  
  
Karen laughed and said, "I did."  
  
"Congratulations then," Katherine said. She let go of Karen and then walked over to Jack. "Have you told Will and Grace about this?"  
  
"I asked for their blessings last night," Jack said. "So they know."  
  
Katherine smiled and gave Jack a hug.  
  
"Good acting there Kat," Jack said softly.  
  
"Let's open presents now!" Amber cried. While the three adults had been talking, she had gone over to the tree and was looking at large pile of gifts underneath it.  
  
"Amber love, come here," Katherine said, sitting down in an armchair.  
  
"Did I do something wrong Mummy?" Amber asked.  
  
"No, I just want you to understand what's happened," Katherine said. "You're Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack are going to get married soon."  
  
"Oh," Amber said. She looked at the floor, seeming to be deep in thought and then said, "So Uncle Jack is going to be my real uncle?"  
  
"That's right Amb," Jack said, smiling at her from the couch where he and Karen were sitting.  
  
Amber jumped up and ran over to Jack, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're going to be my real uncle," she whispered.  
  
"And I'm happy that you are going to be my niece," Jack whispered back.  
  
"Come on you two, I thought you wanted to open presents?" Karen said, smiling.  
  
Amber let go of Jack and went over to the tree. "Who goes first Auntie  
  
Karen?" she asked anxiously.  
  
"You," Karen said laughingly. "Open that one gift that has blue paper and a red ribbon."  
  
It took Amber a moment to find the present and then she sat down near the tree, tearing off the wrapping paper as quickly as she could.  
  
After all the presents had been opened, Jack, Karen and Katherine remained in the living room, watching Amber play with the toys she had gotten from Jack and Karen. At six o'clock, a servant announced that dinner was ready, and the four got up to go eat in the dinning room.  
  
"Jack, can you come here for a sec?" Katherine asked as Karen and Amber  
  
left the room.  
  
"Sure, what is it?" Jack asked, walking over to her.  
  
"I was really debating on whether or not to give you this," Katherine said, taking a large book out of her purse. "And at the last minute I decided to."  
  
Jack took the book and looked at the light blue cover. "There's no title," he said.  
  
"Open it," Katherine said.  
  
Flipping over the cover, Jack saw that the first page had 'Classical' written in calligraphy. He turned the page and saw the sheet music for 'Fur Elsie.' Going through the other pages, he then stopped at one that said 'Modern' in calligraphy. Turning that page, he saw sheet music for a song called, 'Hey Jude,' with the lyrics included too. "Kat, this..." he stopped for a minute, not sure what to say.  
  
"My mum made that for me the Christmas before she died," Katherine answered, tears in her eyes. "She knew I loved rock 'n' roll, so she had a friend of hers write down the notes and lyrics for a bunch of modern songs she knew I loved. She intended for me to learn to play them on the piano."  
  
"Why are you giving this to me?" Jack asked.  
  
"To thank you," Katherine said. "You saved my life six months ago, and I thought this was a good way to partially repay you."  
  
Jack just looked down at the book for a long while. He then closed the  
  
book and hugged Katherine tightly. "This is great Kat," he said, letting her go. "I'm going to enjoy having you as my sister."  
  
Katherine blushed slightly and smiled.  
  
"Are you guys coming to eat?" Karen said, standing in the doorway.  
  
"Yep, I'm starving," Jack said, he tucked the book under his arm and went over to Karen. He wrapped and arm around her and then they walked to the dinning room, Katherine following them.  
  
~~~  
  
After Katherine and Amber had left the penthouse later that night, Jack  
  
went into the living room and sat down at the grand piano. He had the book of sheet music in his hands and set it up on the holder. He uncovered the keys and was about to start playing a piece by Brahms, when a piece of white paper sticking out of the side of the book caught his eyes. He took the book in his hands and opened it to the back where the piece of paper was in. The white  
  
paper was actually a note in Katherine's handwriting, and Jack read it quickly.  
  
'Jack,  
  
This song was written by my all time favourite singer, Paul McCartney.  
  
I've always loved it's lyrics and I think that you should play this to Karen one night. And mayhap if you play it while you guys have an argument (God forbid that should happen often), you'll remember that no matter what, you two will always belong together.  
  
K.E.R'  
  
Putting the note into his pocket, and looked at the sheet music for the  
  
song 'Beautiful Night.' Placing his fingers on the keys, Jack started playing, singing the lyrics softly as he did so.  
  
'Someone's gone out fishing Someone's high and dry Someone's on a mission to the lonely Lorelei Some folk's got a vision of a castle in the sky And I'm left stranded, wondering why'  
  
Karen had come downstairs from her room to get something to drink when she heard the piano being played and someone singing. She went over to the  
  
living room doorway and saw that it was Jack playing and singing. She had seen Katherine give the song book to Jack earlier and had heard their conversation, so she knew that he was playing one of the songs from there. She stayed hidden, watching him play and listening to him sing the beautiful song.  
  
As he played the notes in between the first and second verses, Jack could feel that someone was watching him in the doorway. He knew without a doubt  
  
that it was Karen, and when he started the second verse, he sang a little louder.  
  
'You and me together Nothing feels so good Even if I get a medal from my local neighborhood I won't need a castle, they've got castles in Versailles And I'm still stranded, wondering why'  
  
After Jack finished singing the second verse, Karen walked into the living room slowly, not really realizing she was doing it. She was amazed by the lyrics and the amount of passion that Jack was singing them with.  
Feeling Karen get nearer to him, Jack smiled to himself and then started to sing the chorus of the song.  
  
'Make it a beautiful night for me It's a beautiful night for love A wonderful sight for lovers of love to behold Make it a beautiful for me It's a beautiful night for love A wonderful sight for lovers of love to behold'  
  
Listening to the chorus, Karen stopped walking when she was only about a foot from where Jack was sitting. She was a little startled when Jack turned his head and inclined his head as a gesture for her to sit on the bench next to him. Karen quickly sat down as he continued to play and sing the third verse.  
  
'Some boat's on the ocean We're here in this room Seems to me the perfect way to spend an afternoon We can look for castles in the sky No more wondering, wondering why'  
  
The next part that Jack sang, he looked directly at Karen as he was singing the words.  
  
'Things can go wrong, things can go right Things can go bump in the dead of the night So let me be there, let me be there Let me be there with you in the dead of the night'  
  
Karen felt her body shudder slightly when Jack sang that. The look he was giving her was a mixture of pure love and a little bit of lust. It was a look that held a promise of things to come.  
  
'Make it a beautiful night for me It's a beautiful night for love A wonderful sight for lovers of love to behold Make it a beautiful night for me Such a beautiful night for love Such a wonderful sight for lovers of love to behold  
  
Yeah, it's a beautiful night Yeah, it's a beautiful night'  
  
Jack took his hands off the piano's keys and looked over at Karen. "Pretty song," he said quietly.  
  
"That was beautiful Jack," Karen said, whispering. She reached over and took one of his hands in her own. "Come to bed with me."  
  
After Karen had let go of his hand and stood up from the bench, Jack closed the key cover and stood up. He then snaked an arm around Karen's waist and together they walked toward the stairs.  
  
Inside their room, Karen led Jack straight to the bed where they would spend the rest of the night and most of the next morning making love to each other.  
  
The next morning at eleven, Jack and Karen were snuggled together in bed after having just woken up.  
  
"When will we get married Jack?" Karen asked softly from where she was laying on top of his chest.  
  
Jack sighed and said, "I think we need to do it as soon as possible."  
  
Karen nodded slowly and said, "Once the holidays are over, we'll start planning. Do you want a big wedding or a small one."  
  
"A big one," Jack said, picking up one of Karen's hands and kissing the  
  
fingertips. "I want everyone in the city to see how lucky I am to have you."  
  
"You keep flattering me like that Jackie, and I'll have to give you a reward," Karen said, lifting her head up.  
  
"Hmm," Jack said, raising his eyebrows. "Well then, you have the most beautiful expressive eyes I have ever seen before Kare."  
  
Karen smiled and then kissed Jack pushing him back down on his pillow.  
  
Jack slid his hands around her back and pulled her to him.  
  
Eventually their kisses became more passionate and frenzied as they made love once again. Afterwards, while they were getting their breath back, Jack leaned his forehead against Karen's and whispered, "Love you Kare... I love you."  
  
Karen turned to him so that they where forehead to forehead and said, "I love you too Jack. I can't wait to be your wife."  
  
A few seconds later, they both fell asleep again, their arms wrapped around each other, both looking forward to their wedding day. 


End file.
